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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in developed countries. The growing clinical and financial burden of CVD is, at least in part, being driven by aging populations, and thus represents a significant challenge to health care systems with regard to diagnosis, prevention and treatment. Novel cost-effective approaches that slow or prevent the onset and/or reduce the incidence of CVD warrant investigation. Capsaicinoids, including capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, are the major pungent constituents of ‘hot chilli peppers’ of the Capsicum genus. These spice principles have been documented to increase carbohydrate metabolism [1, 2], energy expenditure [3] and lipid metabolism [4–7], in rats and/or humans, and have been successfully used in the treatment of painful conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and peripheral neuropathies [8]. Furthermore, we have …