Common Sleep Aid Linked to Increased Heart Failure Risk, study Suggests
November 2023 - Long-term use of melatonin supplements may be associated with a significantly increased risk of heart failure and overall mortality, according to research presented at the american Heart Association’s Scientific sessions. The study, analyzing health records from the US and UK, found individuals taking melatonin for over a year were almost 3.5 times more likely to be hospitalized for heart failure compared to those not taking the supplement.
The analysis, conducted by Nnadi and colleagues, revealed the risk of death from any cause jumped from 4.3 percent to 7.8 percent between those taking melatonin long-term and those who weren’t.While melatonin is a naturally produced hormone and readily available over-the-counter in the US,the findings raise concerns about its perceived safety as a chronic therapy.
Researchers caution the study has limitations, as melatonin use was determined through prescription records and not direct participant surveys. This means the control group may have included individuals self-treating with over-the-counter melatonin, perhaps skewing results.
“These findings challenge the perception of melatonin as a benign chronic therapy and only highlight the need for a prospective trial with a control group to clarify its safety profile,” argues Carlos Egea, President of the Spanish Federation of Sleep Medicine Societies.
The findings add to growing scrutiny of melatonin’s safety, notably following a recent surge in non-fatal overdoses among children in Australia, prompting questions about its use in certain age groups. The research was presented on November at the American Heart Association’s scientific Sessions and published with abstract number 4371606.
