Scientists from Systemic Therapeutics Corp. (the "Company" or "SystemicTx") have a new understanding of the protective effects of caffeine on the cardiovascular system. While its stimulant effects have long been characterized, a team of Canadian researchers have discovered how caffeine interacts with key cellular factors to remove cholesterol from the bloodstream.
In a landmark study published in Nature Communications, researchers have discovered that caffeine is responsible for triggering a cascade effect that reduces LDL cholesterol in the blood - the so-called "bad" cholesterol. Elevated levels of LDL cholesterol are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
The study team was led by Richard Austin, Executive Chairman and Chief Scientific Officer of SystemicTx, professor in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University and scientist at the Hamilton Centre for Kidney Research at The Research Institute of St. Joe's Hamilton.