Nutrition Recommendations While Taking Warfarin

Warfarin is a highly effective oral anticoagulant, which is used in the primary and secondary prevention of venous thromboembolism and for the prevention of systemic embolism in patients with prosthetic heart valves and atrial fibrillation. The anticoagulant effect is shown by decreasing the amount of vitamin K required for the activation of clotting factors II, VII, IX and X.Anticoagulant response is highly variable and is ifluenced by numerous factors, including genetic polymorphisms in the enzymes that metabolize the drug, dietary intake of vitamin K and a wide variety of drug- drug, drug-herbal and drug-food interaction.

Keywords: Warfarin, nutrition, vitamin K.