If you have a history of heart disease or have significant risk factors, your health care provider may prescribe clopidogrel bisulfate, also known as Plavix, to prevent blood clots from forming in your circulatory system. Because heart attacks often occur after vigorous physical activity, patients who are given medications for heart disease are often fearful of exerting themselves and avoid strenuous physical activity. However, a vigorous exercise routine may be just what the doctor ordered.
Role of Blood Thinners
Plavix is just one type of antithrombotic, or blood thinner, that doctors prescribe to ward off blood clots. Clotting is a normal and vital role of blood. When you are injured, platelets aggregate at the site of the injury to form a clot to stop bleeding. Without blood's clotting properties, you could easily bleed to death. Clotting becomes problematic when there are other factors at play that cause blood to clot while in the circulatory system. Given the right conditions, a clot can block an artery, cutting off oxygen to the heart.
Causes of Blood Clots
Many factors can cause blood clots within the circulatory system. Some hormone regulating medications like birth control will cause blood clots. Surgery, bruises, broken bones, cancer and obesity have all been pinpointed as causes or contributors. Poor nutrition and inadequate hydration can cause blood to thicken and predispose it to clotting. Inactivity is a prime contributor to blood clotting. Sitting for long periods of time slows circulation and allows blood to pool, creating an environment conducive to clotting.
How Blood Thinners Work
There are three basic types of blood thinners designed to prevent clots: Antiplateles, antigoagulants and thrombolytics. Anticoagulants disrupt the chemical process of blood clotting. Certain foods and herbs can interfere with anticoagulant effectiveness. Thrombolytics break up clots after they form by attacking the fibrin that holds them together. Antiplatelets like Plavix and aspirin stop platelets from sticking together before a clot is formed.
Exercise and Anti-Platelets
Medications alone cannot keep you healthy. Vigorous exercise keeps blood moving through the system and prevents clotting due to blood pooling, The manufacturer of Plavix, Bristol-Myers Squibb, recommends daily cardiovascular exercise for patients taking Plavix. Abstaining from exercise for fear of overexertion can predispose you to other health problems such as poor balance and impaired brain function. Regular exercise will help keep you strong and alert.
Preventing Blood Clots
In addition to physical activity, other measures can help prevent blood clots. Certain nutrients such as fish oil, dark chocolate and resveratrol found in red wine and grapes are effective anti-clotting agents. Staying well hydrated keeps blood from becoming thick due to low fluid volume.
Cautions
Blood thinners make you more vulnerable to bruising and bleeding. If injured, a blood thinner could cause excessive blood loss. Strenuous exercise undertaken before a wound is fully healed may increase bleeding. Inform all new providers that you are taking a blood thinner. Some interventions such as dental or surgical procedures may require the disuse of Plavix for a period of time to prevent excessive bleeding. Always consult with your health care provider before discontinuing medication use.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Red Wine and Reservatrol: Good for Your Heart?
- Marshfield Clinic: Foods Affect Blood Thinners
- Agency for Health Care Research and Quality: Your Guide to Preventing and Treating Blood Clots
- University of Illinois: Medications Used to Treat Clotting Disorders
- Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association: Antiplatelet Therapy
- Plavix.com: Cardiovasuclar Health
