MOA of heparin?

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Multiple Choice

MOA of heparin?

Heparin works by boosting the activity of antithrombin III, which then shuts down key enzymes in the coagulation cascade, especially thrombin and, to a large extent, factor Xa. By inactivating thrombin, it prevents the conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin, slowing or stopping clot formation. The other options don’t describe this mechanism: calcium chelation is what agents like EDTA or citrate do to prevent coagulation, not heparin; inhibiting platelet aggregation is the role of antiplatelet drugs such as aspirin or clopidogrel; and activating plasmin refers to fibrinolytic drugs like tPA that promote clot breakdown, not the anticoagulant effect of heparin.

Heparin works by boosting the activity of antithrombin III, which then shuts down key enzymes in the coagulation cascade, especially thrombin and, to a large extent, factor Xa. By inactivating thrombin, it prevents the conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin, slowing or stopping clot formation. The other options don’t describe this mechanism: calcium chelation is what agents like EDTA or citrate do to prevent coagulation, not heparin; inhibiting platelet aggregation is the role of antiplatelet drugs such as aspirin or clopidogrel; and activating plasmin refers to fibrinolytic drugs like tPA that promote clot breakdown, not the anticoagulant effect of heparin.

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