Invisible effects of anticoagulants on the brain

General notes

This time in our horizons, the brain and the potential consequences for them, especially when the dosage of the drugs in question is misconduct. The specific effects of medicines are different in terms of action mechanism, their dosage principles also have their own nuances, but due to the complexity and long interpretation we will not go into them.

At the beginning of the 19th century, there are general comments about anticoagulants. These medications, which are released into the body – whether intravenous or oral, interfere with the formation of blood clots in the blood vessels. Such clots always pose a major threat. Occurring in the arterial system, they cause dangerous complications: stroke, heart infarction, limb necrosis, etc.

In present, when modern cardiology often performs a variety of manipulations in the arteries and when they are left with foreign bodies such as stents, heart valves, artificial vascular inserts (eg aorta, limb arteries), without anticoagulants. It is only necessary to emphasize that it is the arteries that are highly intolerant to foreign bodies in their luminous ones, as clots are immediately formed, turning into the efforts of cardiologists, vascular surgeons or cardiogens, and patients with serious complications. In order to avoid such thrombotic or thromboembolic complications, blood clotting medicines are used.

The venous system for interventions and foreign bodies is much more tolerant. It can have intravenous catheters, needles, etc., and, for example, in large veins (in poetry, upper or lower empty), as well as in the right heart cavity – atrial or uglum – without risk and without anticoagulants and adverse effects, for electricity or cardioversia-defibrillation.

If overdose

Overdose of anticoagulants, greater or smaller bleeding begins, and sometimes life -threatening bleeding occurs. Thus, a patient who must regulate blood clotting indicators falls within ambiguous position. That is why the medicine that regulates coagulation in the English literature is called bilateral swords, or double-edged swords (double-edged blades). All this, I think, is well known to patients taking anticoagulants. They are well informed about the threats, know how to avoid some consequences or another. However, despite the informal of the sick, the emergency departments of the hospital receive many patients with some complications. This is most commonly associated with patients’ healing habits: some forget to take a medication, others, on the contrary, forget if they have already taken the tablet, and have doubts about them. In both cases, the effects will be different. And, for example, when using warfarin, depending on the peculiarities of nutrition, it is necessary to repeat the blood clotting indicators every few weeks, and periodically adjust the dose. There is a lot of progress, as those who are taking the most modern pre -carbon drugs are no longer needed by the tedious and time -consuming criterion for patients. By the way, the majority of patients in need of anticoagulant therapy are arrhythmological patients suffering from atrial arrhythmias.

Double: Medications regulating coagulation in the English literature are called double -edged swords because anticoagulants overdose cause the risk of bleeding. / Photo by Freepik.com

Has an impact on functioning

Let’s consider whether the effects of anticoagulants can affect the functioning of the brain. An unambiguous answer would be « yes », especially when it comes to inadequate doses of non -adequate, non -optimal dose. I get calls when former patients ask why they notice the subcutaneous bruising in the neck, chest, hands in the backs or elsewhere, although no mechanical injury was suffered. In fact, this happens, and most often, though not always, it is the fault of anticoagulants and their non -optimal dosing.

Still, the problem has to be taken more widely. If we find obviously visible subcutaneous hematomas (bruising), it must be suspected that something similar: internal bleeding, microcrassed – can also occur in any internal organs, such as the liver, muscles, intestines and, of course, the brain. If so, it can also be reflected in brain activity, their cognitive levels – thought and cognitive functions, including memory, focus, orientation, overall perception. After all, microcraft can occur not only in the deep structures of the brain, but also in the cerebral cortex, which determines the intellectual level of intellectual level. Thus, if a mature patient complains about the oblivion, which causes a short -term situation in the surrounding environment, orientation abnormalities, the potential effects of anticoagulants must be suspected.

Theoretically, depending on the size of the intracerebral hemorrhage and their localization, the appropriate symptomatology may always occur, and as the microcrasses are repeating, the symptoms develop and are easier to identify. According to Hilal and colleagues, the background of anticoagulants used in the brain microhemralharagia is quite common, including in patients with cerebral vascular disease or dementia, as well as in the elderly who do not use coagulation medicines. In total, the frequency of such complications ranges from 5-23 %. within limits.

If a mature patient complains of oblivion caused by a short -term situation in the surrounding environment, orientation abnormalities, the potential effects of anticoagulants must be suspected.

The effects of microcranges

Magnetic resonance imaging is detected by the effects of microcraft in the brain, namely the effects, but not the bruising themselves. Traces of bruising are observed with hemosiderin deposits (deposition, dedications) in various brain locations, including the cerebral cortex – our thinking and intelligence habitat. Deposits occur as erythrocytes and hemoglobin occur; In fact, these are iron oxide micro -zest that spread in various brain structures. It is especially important to emphasize that such finds may be found in mature age, even those who do not use coagulation. In this regard, a very valuable message published by J. Graff-Radford, T. Lesnick with co-authors who conducted complex research at Mei Clinic (USA). They examined 1,253 patients receiving anti -conombotic drugs (the same anticoagulants, but otherwise named), focusing on how often they occur in the micro -crop in the brain. Patients were prescribed for both direct and indirect action, and their mechanisms are different. A correlation was found, ie clear links between micro -training frequency and medication therapy. 26.3 % of the micro -cultivation of the brain and their effects were found. The complications of the patients under investigation were prevalent in a gerontal group of patients over 78 years of age. According to the researchers, the medicines of indirect action (eg warfarin) are higher than direct (clopidogrel, aspirin, etc.), according to researchers. By the way, the report does not mention whether the patients under investigation and the eye -seeing episodes of subcutaneous bruising or more severe bleeding have appeared, nor have the peculiarities of the dosage of the medication. The same clinicians have examined a group of healthy people over the age of 60, and despite the absence of anticoagulants, in some cases, hemosiderine deposits in the brain were found.

There is a lot of information on the negative effects of anticoagulants on patients’ memory, and doctors also recognize the problem. It must also be acknowledged that the benefits of anticoagulants, if not thousands of times, outweigh their side effects.

In the elderly, subcutaneous bruises often result from the fragility of capillary capillaries characteristic of this age and, most importantly, without the use of anticoagulants, without the physical factor (trauma). It is assumed that such a fragility of capillaries can be the cause of the microcraft of the brain, which provokes cognitive nature – self -concept, concentration, orientation and so on. – disorders. Thus, after summing up what is said, bruising in various areas of the body or in the parenchyma of the internal organs (organ tissue mass) can cause both anticoagulants overdose and normal, adequate dosage, and often bruising occurs without taking these medications.

This article does not seek to intimidate patients, but only to pay attention to some of the threats posed by anticoagulants that can be avoided or minimized. It is also necessary to keep in mind that when doctors identify the need for anticoagulants (indications), treatment is mandatory, and that ignore it would be absolutely unjustified.

New experience

It is worth taking over experience in cardiological patients who are constantly treated with antihypertensive drugs. That experience did not come from a good life, but when it came to the arose of getting to the cardiologist, and it was when needed, not ever in the future. That is why patients of such a profile have learned to adjust the dosage of the relevant medicines in the event of a hypertension crisis. It is not possible that this program will work forever (well, for a long time) after applying the necessary medicines or their combinations to a particular patient. There will be many moments when hypertension escapes from medication control and bitter reality will dictate your whims – every time you raise arterial blood pressure, the patient will not go to a cardiologist. Some patients are unacceptable often to call for an ambulance, so they are taking the initiative and adjusting the doses of medication when they have gained long -term experience and understand their illness. As far as I am aware, this practice is particularly followed by patients with high blood pressure disease long ago and well understood the whims of the disease. After all, this disease, its course, has a crisis when the blood pressure curve reaches dangerous boundaries. By the way, when hypertension is retreating for a while, patients even stop taking the prescribed medication. Almost daily observing the parameters of blood pressure, the use of medicines is renewed by the patients themselves. It is as if it were new modern cardiology fashion resulting from long waiting rows without seeing the prospects for a quick service. Thus, patients are forced to look for alternatives and find them.

Overdose of anticoagulants begins with greater or smaller bleeding, and sometimes life -threatening bleeding occurs.

Therefore, it is logical to implement similar practice more, of course, with some caution, and in particular, patients with medication reducing blood clotting. Patients who sometimes call the subcutaneous bruising and, especially with new fireplaces, are useful to minimize the dose of the drug, such as reducing the drug pill by a quarter or a third. However, it should be emphasized that, in exceptional cases, the patient himself may only reduce their dose while taking anticoagulants, and that the dose increase must be left to the family doctor or cardiologist.

Treatment of anticoagulants or breaks is not categorically discontinued. Of course, in the event of an immediate or massive bleeding, such as from the nose, wound, etc., it is urgent to call for help. There are many examples of deaths associated with the influence of anticoagulants.

The attentive use of medicines, not just anticoagulants, will enable adverse situations, unnecessary stress in patients, their relatives, and contribute to the creation of a sustainable quality of life.