FDA Issues Warnings on Warfarin

Courtney Mills

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The FDA has issued health warnings on the use of blood thinners in certain individuals. Warfarin, an anticoagulant agent, is prescribed by doctors in the United States to patients who have heart trouble or irregular heartbeats.

Warfarin is popularly marketed under the prescription brand name Coumadin, and has demonstrated severe complications in patients of certain genetic make-up. These complications primarily include bleeding to death in patients with certain genes. Physicians must test patients to determine exactly if these genes are present before prescribing warfarin.

Testing to verify if certain genes are present will help physicians to alter required dosage and avoid any undesirable side effects.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Drugs, Medical Devices, and Implants.