According to a report from the American Heart Association, prolonged use of melatonin supplements may heighten the risk of hospitalizations due to heart failure.
Melatonin is frequently utilized for treating insomnia and is often marketed as a safe, natural remedy. Still, the lack of extensive data regarding its long-term cardiovascular safety prompted researchers to evaluate its impact on heart health, particularly among adults battling chronic insomnia.
The research reviewed five years’ worth of health data from over 130,000 adults suffering from insomnia. Around 65,000 individuals had been using melatonin consistently for more than a year, while the rest had no record of using it. Those with a history of heart failure or who were using other sleep medications were excluded from the study.
Findings indicated that during the five-year span, nearly 90 percent of adults with insomnia who had a history of long-term melatonin use faced a greater likelihood of developing heart failure compared to those who didn’t use it. Although the researchers considered various risk factors and health issues, a significant connection between prolonged melatonin use and severe cardiovascular outcomes remained evident.
“Melatonin is widely regarded as a very safe supplement… so we genuinely did not anticipate seeing clear associations linking long-term use to increased rates of heart failure, hospital admissions, and mortality,” remarked lead researcher Ekenedirichukwu-Nnadi.
As of now, the study hasn’t undergone peer review, and experts are advising caution.
“The association we’ve found raises questions about the safety of these commonly used supplements, but our study doesn’t establish direct causation,” Nadi clarified. “This indicates that more research is necessary to assess the cardiac safety of melatonin.”
The study does have some limitations. For instance, the use of over-the-counter melatonin isn’t always documented in medical records, and some individuals categorized as non-users could actually be taking the supplement. Additional limitations included insufficient data on the severity of insomnia and related psychiatric conditions.
Heart failure occurs when the heart struggles to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs, impacting around 6.7 million adults in the United States.
