Song · Phytotherapy research : PTR 2023 · narrative review · n=?

Current therapeutic targets and multifaceted physiological impacts of caffeine.

Cited 29 times in the scientific literature.

Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data

Narrative review synthesizing molecular mechanisms, pharmacology, and physiological impacts without systematic methodology

PubMed 37679309 · doi:10.1002/ptr.8000 · record verified 2026-08-27

What was done

The authors synthesized literature on the molecular mechanisms, experimentally validated pharmacological targets, and organ-specific physiological and pathophysiological effects of caffeine.

What was found

The abstract reports no quantitative data or effect sizes. It summarizes that caffeine acts primarily as a nonselective adenosine receptor antagonist at physiological doses. It notes associations with beneficial outcomes in cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, while highlighting dose-dependent paradoxical effects in humans, including hypertension versus hypotension and tachycardia versus bradycardia.

Why it matters

This review outlines the concentration-dependent molecular targets of caffeine to help explain how differing doses elicit divergent physiological responses across organ systems.

Limits

The abstract describes a narrative review without systematic search protocols, quality appraisal, or quantitative data synthesis. Specific effect sizes, population details, and underlying study designs are not reported in the abstract.

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