Taking anticoagulants for atrial fibrillation

What are anticoagulants?

Anticoagulants, such as warfarin (Coumadin, for example), are medications that help prevent blood clots. Anticoagulants are often called blood thinners, but they do not actually thin the blood. Instead, they work by increasing the time it takes a blood clot to form.

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1. Anticoagulants thin the blood.

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Author:	Robin Parks, MS	Last Updated: January 18, 2007
Medical Review:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Laurence Epstein, MD - Cardiac Electrophysiologist
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