The Mechanism of Action of Oral Anticoagulants and Its Consequences for the Practice of Oral Anticoagulation

Abstract

A short review on the discovery of the relation between vitamin K and the synthesis of clotting factors and on the development of anticoagulant therapy is given. The procoagulant activity induced by vitamin K resides in the postribosomal modification of N-terminal glutamic acids in gamma-COOH glutamic acids. The mode of action of oral anticoagulants is explained. The concentration-effect relations and the choice of an oral anticoagulant is discussed.