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Anticoagulant treatment - how diet affects INR

Patrycja Nowak

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Anticoagulant treatment - how diet affects INR

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Food

Many patients undergoing cardiac treatment are now using anticoagulants. These reduce the risk of blood clots forming in the blood vessels and heart.

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Table of contents:

  1. Indications for the use of anticoagulants
  2. INR
  3. Products that cause an increase in INR
  4. Products that lower the INR

Indications for use of anticoagulants

The main indications for anticoagulants are:

  • Treatment and prevention of venous thromboembolism and pulmonary embolism.
  • Atrial fibrillation.
  • Condition after implantation of vascular prostheses and artificial heart valves.
  • Antiphospholipid syndrome.
  • Peripheral artery thrombosis or presence of a thrombus in the heart cavities.
  • Neoplastic diseases.

These drugs come in oral and injectable forms.

INR

In Poland, the most commonly used oral drug is acenocoumarol, the other drug being warfarin. During treatment, it is obligatory to control the INR index (i.e. clotting time in short).

These measurements are taken in the laboratory, initially in the first weeks of treatment the measurements should be more frequent even every few days, later on average every 4 weeks (with established treatment).

Most often, the norm for people on anticoagulant treatment is 2.0-3.0. Depending on this result, the doctor determines the drug dosage.
With such pharmacotherapy, however, it is important to be aware of certain aspects that affect the INR level.

The diet that the patient follows is of great importance.

Products that cause an increase in the INR

This is because certain products can cause an increase in INR. These include:

  • cereal products,
  • beans,
  • tomatoes ,
  • garlic,
  • potatoes,
  • citrus fruits,
  • cranberries,
  • grapefruits,
  • pineapples,
  • mango,
  • fish oil.

Acenocoumarol, Anticoagulation-treatment, Inr

Vegetables, photo by panthermedia

Products that lower the INR level

Products that, in turn, lower INR levels and thus weaken the effect of the drug include:

  • common cabbage,
  • brussels sprouts,
  • lettuce,
  • spinach,
  • green tea,
  • avocado,
  • soya milk,
  • cauliflower,
  • sunflower oil,
  • sauerkraut,
  • soya beans,
  • rocket,
  • wheat bran,
  • radicchio,
  • peas,
  • asparagus,
  • prunes,
  • beef,
  • liver.

It is extremely important to be aware of which foods affect your treatment in order to prevent complications, often life-threatening.
Some medicines used without consulting your doctor (over-the-counter) can also affect the results of your treatment - so always inform your pharmacist of the treatment you are taking.

As far as painkillers are concerned, paracetamol preparations should be used, while non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are contraindicated.