For many people who have heart conditions or a history of strokes, therapy and lifestyle changes are not enough; medication is a necessity. Stroke prevention medication saves lives.

Learning the risks of certain drugs will help to reduce the likelihood of hazardous events while you are adjusting to new stroke medication.

Types of Stroke Prevention Medications

There are two primary categories of stroke prevention medications: antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants. Both of these types of drugs work to keeps clots from forming and inhibit the growth of existing clots. They work by different mechanisms and come with varying degrees of risk.

Antiplatelet agents slow the production of thromboxane, a chemical that signals for platelets to stick together and form clots. Aspirin, clopidogrel, dipyridamole and ticlopidine are all common antiplatelet agents.

Anticoagulants target clotting factors, which are proteins made in the liver. These are recommended to patients with a high risk of stroke and atrial fibrillation (AF). Warfarin, Pradaxa, Xarelto and Eliquis are all anticoagulants.

Risks associated with Antiplatelet Agents

Not everyone will benefit from antiplatelet therapy; some people will need to take adjusted doses or use alternative medications. People with a history of the following conditions should consult their doctor before taking these drugs:

• a history of liver disease
• a history of kidney disease
• high blood pressure
• bleeding disorders
• asthma
• gastrointestinal diseases
• peptic ulcers

Antiplatelet agents are also not recommended for people who have haemorrhagic  strokes (bleeding in the brain).

Risks associated with Anticoagulants

Many patients take warfarin, which has been the staple anticoagulant for decades, but they must follow strict guidelines. First, patients require regular blood tests that measure your International Normalized Ratio (INR), reflecting the time it takes for your blood to clot. Patients also have to monitor their intake of certain foods that can reduce the efficacy of warfarin.

The following foods should be monitored:

• Broccoli
• Kale
• Parsley
• Spinach, cabbage and lettuce
• Brussels sprouts
• Endives
• Turnip, collard and mustard greens
• Green onions

All of these foods contain vitamin K, which inhibits warfarin’s blood-clotting mechanism. As long as the consumption of these foods is monitored, warfarin can be used. Also, if there are bleeding emergencies that arise during warfarin use, a hospital can administer vitamin K to stop the bleeding.

Anticoagulants without Bleeding Antidotes

Pradaxa, Xarelto and Eliquis are anticoagulants –also known as blood thinners—all made available for use within the last three years. None of them has an antidote, putting users at risk for uncontrollable bleeding accidents.

Falls, small cuts, minor wounds, surgeries, internal and external bruises, and other accidents can quickly escalate into emergency situations. Even with hospitalization and medical care, some patients do not survive these events.

In 2011, there were 542 deaths related to Pradaxa use. Some of these were related to hemorrhaging , while others may have been the result of heart problems. Multiple studies have shown that Pradaxa can increase the risk of heart attack and symptoms of heart disease.

Since Xarelto and Eliquis are newer additions to the blood thinner market, reports of adverse events are yet to be gathered.

Alanna Ritchie is a content writer for Drugwatch.com. She focuses on prescription drugs, medical devices and consumer safety.

Heart disease is one of the biggest killers of American men and women. And while it can’t be 100% preventable, studies have shown that if the right steps are taken, risk factors can dramatically lessen.

Preventative cardiovascular care means that you go into the doctor’s office such as cardiovascular doctors panama city FL for the sake of prevention, not treatment. Every American that is at high risk now, whether it be because heart disease runs in the family or any other reason, deserves to find out what testing is out there and what preventative lifestyle choices they could make.

We know the statistics. We know the risk factors. Think about it: there’s no reason not to act.

The National Institute of Health halted their study on cholesterol medication niacin 18 months early due to its lack of benefit on heart health. Furthermore, the study revealed, it may increase one’s risk for stroke.

“The lack of effect on cardiovascular events is unexpected and a striking contrast to the results of previous trials and observational studies,” said Jeffrey Probstfield, M.D., AIM-HIGH co-principal investigator and professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Washington, Seattle. “The AIM-HIGH findings do not support the trial’s hypothesis that, in the population studied, adding extended-release niacin to simvastatin in participants with well-controlled LDL cholesterol can provide additional clinical benefit.”

However, despite the study’s results, Dr. Steven Schnur, cardiologist and concierge medicine practice CEO advises that patients consult with their physicians before discontinuing their current niacin prescriptions. “The patient population in this study had well-controlled LDL [bad] cholesterol, but in many patients this is not the case,” he says. “Further studies need to be done and several studies are currently [in progress].”