An international normalized ratio (INR) is a laboratory test used to determine how long it takes for the blood to clot.
This test is commonly used in people who are taking a blood-thinning medication, such as
warfarin (
Coumadin®,
Jantoven®).
Typically, a person who is not taking a blood-thinning medicine has an INR of about 1. People who are undergoing blood thinner therapy will have a higher INR. It is important for the value to be within a certain range for the blood-thinning medication to be effective. If the INR is out of range, it can lead to uncontrollable bleeding; an value that is too low may increase your risk for a
stroke.
Depending on a person's reason for taking the medication, the therapeutic INR range is between 2 and 3.
(For more details, click INR. This article outlines therapeutic ranges for people using blood-thinning medications and explains why it is important to have regular INR testing.)
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