Xarelto, an anticoagulant blood thinner approved by the FDA in 2011, is prescribed to reduce the risks of stroke and blood clots in individuals suffering from atrial fibrillation, also known as A-Fib. Similar to other blood thinners such as Coumadin and Pradaxa, the drug reduces the chance of blood clots forming and traveling to the brain, which result in stroke or embolism, and blocked arteries.