What factors should be taken into consideration when choosing a blood thinner agent?
When choosing a blood thinner agent, factors such as the patient's medical history (hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease/myocardial infarction, peripheral artery disease, heart failure, prior stroke, lung disease, liver disease or renal failure), treatments (such as amiodarone), smoking status, and race (non-Caucasian, double) should be taken into consideration. Additionally, the SAMe-TT2R2 score can be used to help identify patients likely to do well on VKA therapy.