Advantages of Eliquis (Apixaban/Aileto/Hong Kong translation: Tongxuetong) in the treatment of stroke thrombosis

Eliquis (generic name: Apixaban ) is a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC), which is part of a new oral anticoagulant specifically designed to prevent blood clots and reduce the risk of stroke. Compared with traditional anticoagulants such as warfarin, Eliquis has several significant advantages, making it a preferred drug for preventing stroke and treating blood clots in clinical practice in recent years. This article will focus on the mechanism of action and advantages of Eliquis in preventing and treating stroke blood clots.

1. Anticoagulant Mechanism of Eliquis

Eliquis' anticoagulant effect is achieved by directly inhibiting coagulation factor Xa in the blood. Coagulation factor Xa plays a key role in the coagulation process. It converts prothrombin into thrombin, which in turn promotes the formation of fibrin. After forming a mesh structure, fibrin captures red blood cells and eventually leads to the formation of blood clots. By selectively inhibiting coagulation factor Xa, Eliquis can interrupt this important link in the coagulation waterfall, thereby reducing thrombosis.

Unlike the traditional drug warfarin, Eliquis does not work by interfering with vitamin K, so its action is more direct and stable. This difference in mechanism leads to a faster onset of action and a more manageable anticoagulant effect. In addition, the efficacy of Eliquis is relatively more stable, without the need for frequent dose adjustments.

2. Advantages of Eliquis in the treatment of stroke thrombosis

1. **Reduce the risk of stroke and systemic thromboembolic events**

One of the most significant advantages of Eliquis is that it can effectively prevent strokes caused by non-valvular atrial fibrillation. This arrhythmia can cause blood clots to form in the heart, which in turn can cause a stroke. Eliquis can effectively reduce the risk of blood clots. In clinical trials, Eliquis significantly reduced the incidence of stroke and the risk of systemic thromboembolic events in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation, especially in preventing ischemic strokes.

2. **Lower bleeding risk than traditional anticoagulants**

Warfarin is a traditional anticoagulant therapy, but one of its major drawbacks is that it can easily cause severe bleeding, especially cerebral hemorrhage and gastrointestinal bleeding. In this regard, Eliquis has significant advantages. Multiple clinical studies have shown that compared with warfarin, Eliquis significantly reduces the risk of major bleeding, especially cerebral hemorrhage and fatal bleeding. This means that when patients receive long-term anticoagulant therapy, Eliquis can provide the same effective anticoagulant effect while significantly reducing the incidence of bleeding complications.

3. **No Frequent Monitoring**

Warfarin treatment requires patients to regularly monitor their international normalized ratio (INR) to ensure the effectiveness and safety of the drug, as its efficacy is easily affected by factors such as diet and drug interactions, and the dosage needs to be adjusted frequently. However, the pharmacokinetic properties of Eliquis are stable and are not significantly affected by diet and most drugs, which means that patients do not need to frequently monitor their coagulation function when receiving Eliquis treatment, greatly simplifying the treatment process and improving the quality of life of patients. This advantage is especially suitable for elderly patients or patients with multiple health problems.

4. **Quick onset of effect and quick recovery after discontinuation**

Eliquis has a relatively short onset of action, and usually produces a significant anticoagulant effect within a few hours of taking the drug. This feature of Eliquis is particularly important for situations that require a rapid onset of action (such as acute thrombotic events) or patients who need emergency surgery. When anticoagulant therapy needs to be discontinued, Eliquis has a short half-life, the drug is metabolized quickly in the body, and the recovery of coagulation function after discontinuation of the drug is relatively rapid, which is very beneficial for patients who need to temporarily suspend anticoagulant therapy.

5. **Oral administration, convenient to use**

Eliquis is an oral drug that can achieve a stable anticoagulant effect by taking it twice a day. Compared with traditional injectable anticoagulants (such as low molecular weight heparin), Eliquis' oral administration is simpler and patient compliance is higher. In addition, patients do not need to rely on frequent dose adjustments like warfarin, so it is more suitable for long-term home treatment.

6. Reduced mortality

Multiple studies have shown that Eliquis not only reduces the risk of stroke and major bleeding, but also significantly reduces the all-cause mortality of patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation, indicating that Eliquis also has significant advantages in improving patient prognosis and long-term survival rate.

3. Comparison of Eliquis with other anticoagulant drugs

Compared with other new oral anticoagulants (such as rivaroxaban and dabigatran), Eliquis also has certain advantages in bleeding risk management. For example, in major clinical trials for thrombosis prevention, Eliquis performed well in reducing the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. Although its twice-daily dosing regimen may be slightly complicated, it can provide a more stable anticoagulation level and reduce the risk of extreme drug efficacy fluctuations.

Compared with warfarin, Eliquis has improved efficacy and safety. The efficacy of warfarin varies greatly among individuals, while Eliquis can maintain relatively consistent efficacy in a wide range of people, a feature that makes it easier for doctors to control in clinical applications.

IV. Indications and Adverse Reactions

Eliquis is widely used to prevent and treat thrombotic events such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). It is also used to prevent stroke and systemic embolism, especially in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. However, like all anticoagulants, Eliquis also has certain adverse reactions, such as minor bleeding and abnormal liver function. Therefore, when using Eliquis , doctors usually weigh the pros and cons according to the patient's specific situation and choose the best treatment plan.

V. Conclusion

Overall, Eliquis has multiple advantages in the treatment of anti-stroke thrombosis, including effective prevention of stroke and systemic embolic events, reduced bleeding risk, no need for frequent monitoring, rapid onset of action, and convenient oral administration. These advantages make it widely favored in clinical practice. For patients who require long-term anticoagulant therapy, especially those with atrial fibrillation, Eliquis provides a safe, effective and easy-to-manage anticoagulant treatment option. However, it is still necessary to follow the doctor's advice when using it to avoid potential adverse reactions.