A friend left a message for Huazi, asking aspirin and rivaroxaban, both are drugs used to prevent blood clots, what is different, which is better? Huazi replied that aspirin and rivaroxaban, the two drugs have different mechanisms of action, they can be combined, but can not replace each other.
Blood clotting in blood vessels can cause blood clots and cause blood vessels to block. However, the mechanism of thrombosis formation is different, and different drugs need to be selected when preventing it.
1. Aspirin prevents arterial thrombosis
Aspirin is mainly used for thromboprophylaxis in patients with atherosclerosis. Because when the arteries develop atherosclerosis, the hardened plaque itself is unstable and may rupture. If the plaque ruptures, the exposed plaque contents attract platelets to aggregate, which in turn activates fibrin to form thrombosis.
Aspirin can irreversibly inhibit the aggregation function of platelets, so that when plaque rupture occurs, it prevents platelet aggregation and activates fibrin and avoids the formation of blood clots. It has a good preventive effect on ischemic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction caused by atherosclerosis.
2. Rivaroxaban prevents atrial fibrillation and venous thrombosis
Rivaroxaban is an inhibitor of coagulation factor Xa, selectively blocking coagulation factor X activation into factor Xa, blocking the coagulation chain. It is mainly used for patients who need long-term immobilization of the lower limbs after hip and knee surgery to avoid venous thrombosis and prevent the occurrence of pulmonary embolism.
Patients with atrial fibrillation cannot pump blood normally because of high-frequency atrial fibrillation, so the blood flow rate in the atrium of the heart and ear becomes slower, forming turbulence, and it is easy to coagulate into a wall thrombosis. When the thrombus is detached, it is easy to block the cerebral arteries, resulting in cerebral infarction. Rivaroxaban can also be used in patients with atrial fibrillation to prevent wall thrombosis and prevent cerebral infarction.
Third, the two can be used together but cannot be substituted for each other
Although aspirin and rivaroxaban can both prevent thrombosis, they have different mechanisms of action and cannot be substituted for each other. Aspirin is mainly used for the prevention of atherosclerosis-related diseases such as myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction, coronary heart disease, and severe carotid artery stenosis. Rivaroxaban is mainly used to prevent pulmonary embolism caused by venous thrombosis and cerebral infarction caused by atrial fibrillation.
If both risk factors are present, aspirin and rivaroxaban can be used in combination. Experiments have confirmed that after the combination of the two, the effect on vascular protection is more significant, and the benefits of patients are increased. However, the combination of the two will also increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, so before the two are combined, they need to be evaluated by a doctor and used with caution.
4. Antiplatelet drugs and anticoagulant drugs
The same type of drugs can be substituted for each other, aspirin is an antiplatelet drug, if the adverse reactions are too large, can not tolerate, the same kind of drugs have clopidogrel, tigrelor, etc., can replace aspirin.
Rivaroxaban is an anticoagulant drug, and its counterparts include warfarin, apixaban, dabigatran and other drugs, which can be used instead.
Antiplatelet drugs and anticoagulants, both need to be taken regularly for a long time to play a role in preventing thrombosis, if there is no intolerable serious adverse reactions, it is not recommended to stop or change the dressing.
To sum up, aspirin and rivaroxaban are both drugs that prevent blood clots, but the mechanism of action of the two is different, and the types of blood clots prevented are different. When used, the two cannot be substituted for each other, but can be applied jointly. The drug should be used under the guidance of a doctor, if you have any doubts about the use of the drug, please consult a doctor or pharmacist. I am a pharmacist Huazi, welcome to follow me and share more health knowledge.