Taking Melatonin Every Night May Nearly Double Heart Failure Risk
A recent study examined adults with chronic insomnia and found that long-term use of melatonin supplements is linked to a higher risk of heart failure and early death.
Melatonin is a widely used over-the-counter sleep aid in the United States, with about six million Americans using it to fall asleep faster or stay asleep longer.
Researchers discovered that adults with insomnia who took melatonin for at least one year had a significantly greater chance of developing heart failure, requiring hospitalization for it, or dying from any cause within five years compared to adults with similar conditions who did not use melatonin.
Melatonin supplements may not be as harmless as commonly assumed.
— Ekenedilichukwu Nnadi, MD, chief resident in internal medicine at Kings County Hospital and Downstate Health Sciences University
The lead author adds that if other studies confirm these results, it could influence how doctors evaluate the risks and benefits of melatonin when advising patients.
To study the long-term effects of melatonin, researchers analyzed health records from an international database containing over 130,000 adults with insomnia but no prior heart failure diagnosis. They compared those who had used melatonin for more than a year to a group with similar traits who never used it.
Author's summary: Long-term nightly melatonin use in adults with insomnia is linked to a notably increased risk of heart failure and mortality, highlighting the need for cautious medical guidance.