Heparin Mechanism of Action | Adverse Effects

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 11:17:50 +0000

We have brought you another pharmacology lecture on “thrombolytics”, focusing on Heparin, this time. Let us dive into its Heparin classifications, Heparin mechanism of action, pharmacodynamics, and Heparin pharmacokinetics. Cool medical animations and interactive lectures will ensure that you grasp all the concepts about Heparin Pharmacology perfectly!

▬ 📌 What is Heparin?
Heparin happens to be an injectable indirect anticoagulant. It is a heterogeneous group of straight-chain anionic mucopolysaccharides, called glycosaminoglycans.

▬ 📌 Therapeutic Role of Heparin
But what is the therapeutic role of heparin? What does heparin do?

Well, it helps to prevent clot formation (hemostasis). So it is used in the treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), prophylaxis, pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, and coagulopathies.

▬ 📌 Heparin Classification
There are three main types of heparin.
🔹Standard heparin (native heparin)- Obtained from porcine mast cells
🔹Low-molecular-weight heparin (fractionated heparin)- produced by cleavage of native heparin
🔹Synthetic heparin (fondaparinux)

▬ 📌 Heparin Mechanism of Action
Heparin is an anticoagulant. So, it has to interfere with some proteins of the coagulation cascade to hinder hemostasis. Its biological activity is dependent upon the endogenous anticoagulant antithrombin. Antithrombin is a circulating glycoprotein capable of inhibiting clotting factor proteases, especially thrombin (factor IIa), factor IXa, and factor Xa.

Learn more about the action of clotting factors in our lecture on hemostasis.

▬ 📌 Heparin vs Warfarin
The other indirect anticoagulant is warfarin. Heparin is much safer than warfarin. Especially in the case of pregnant women, the anticoagulants of choice would be Heparin because they do not cross the placenta, due to their large size and negative charge.

Watch more on the differences between these drugs in our short video: Heparin vs Warfarin

▬ 📌 Heparin Side Effects
The main heparin side‐effect is bleeding. Due to this, heparin should not be given to patients with hemophilia, thrombocytopenia, or peptic ulcers.

Other side-effects seen with heparin are:
🔸Hemorrhage
🔸Skin necrosis
🔸Hypersensitivity reactions

Watch to get all the knowledge about Heparin.

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