What is the main purpose of anticoagulant medications?

Anticoagulant medications are primarily used to prevent blood clots from forming. They achieve this by interfering with the body's natural clotting process, which helps reduce the risk of thromboembolic events such as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and stroke. By inhibiting certain factors in the coagulation cascade or by blocking the action of platelets, anticoagulants help maintain normal blood flow and prevent the complications associated with unwanted clot formation.

Other options present different therapeutic purposes unrelated to anticoagulation. For example, controls blood sugar levels are the role of antidiabetic medications, increasing white blood cell counts relates to growth factors or stimulants for the immune system, and reducing pain and inflammation is typically the domain of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or corticosteroids. Each of these has its specific indications and mechanisms but does not involve the prevention of blood clots.