New antithrombotic therapies and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM): Chartering into unknown territory

Anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs are important standard therapies used to prevent clot formation in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Recent advances in these therapies have seen the introduction of a number of new oral anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs available in Australian clinical practice. These drugs although equally effective than their predecessors still may pose a risk to patients who use these in combination with complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs). This paper aims to provide an overview of the new oral anticoagulant and antiplatelet agents and highlight the current paucity of research which exists regarding how these agents interact with CAMs.