Taking melatonin for long periods of time could be a sign of underlying heart problems.
Long-term use of this popular over-the-counter sleep aid has been linked to an increased risk of heart failure and premature death in adults with insomnia, according to research published Monday.
Researchers said there is no evidence that melatonin supplements by themselves cause heart problems. However, the need to take them regularly to fall asleep and stay asleep It could be a sign that the body is experiencing heart problems.
“Insomnia can increase blood pressure, stress hormones and inflammation,” said Dr. Ekenedilichukwu Nnadi, lead author of the new study and an internal medicine resident at SUNY Downstate/Kings County Primary Care in New York City.
Nnadi and his colleagues analyzed five years of electronic medical records from 130,828 adults, with an average age of 56, and found that people who took melatonin regularly for at least a year were almost twice as likely to develop heart failure compared to those who did not take it, although the actual rates were relatively low: 4.6% of people in the group taking it developed heart failure, compared with 2.7% of those who did not.
They were more than three times as likely to be hospitalized for this condition (19% vs. 6.6%) and almost twice as likely to die during the study period, compared to people who did not take melatonin regularly.
However, it is not clear whether the data collected reflects the results of all people in the United States who take melatonin long-term. The researchers identified people as chronic users of the substance based solely on medical records, that is, whether they had been prescribed the supplement. In the US it is sold without a prescription and is not usually reflected in medical records.
“I advise caution in drawing any specific conclusions based on this study alone,” said Dr. Nishant Shah, a preventive cardiologist at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, who was not involved in the study. “But now that we have this observation it is the ideal time to find out if there really is a direct association between sleeping agents and harm. That would be a game changer in practice.”
Nnadi’s research will be presented in New Orleans at an upcoming meeting of the American Heart Association. It has not been published in any peer-reviewed journal.
Heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the body’s organs for them to function properly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 7 million Americans suffer from this condition.
Although the study revealed that long-term use of melatonin was an indicator of possible heart problems, rather than the cause of them, experts agreed that more research is needed on the possible side effects of the supplements.
“We have patients using all types of supplements without understanding the risks,” said Dr. Martha Gulati, a preventive cardiologist and the incoming director of the Davis Women’s Heart Center at the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Institute in Texas. “If a supplement is harmful, the cost could be much higher than just expensive urine.” Gulati was not involved in the new study.
Melatonin is a hormone produced naturally by the body that helps regulate sleep and wake cycles. Synthetic versions, widely sold over the counter as dietary supplements, are marketed to help people fall asleep more quickly or overcome sleepiness. jet lag. Since supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), dosages and purity can vary greatly between different brands.
Use of the supplement has increased in recent years. A 2022 Sleep Foundation survey found that up to 27% of American adults take melatonin, as well as 4% of minors, who were not included in the new study.
People who take melatonin for sleep for more than a year should talk to their doctor, according to experts.
“People should be aware that it should not be taken chronically without proper indication,” Marie-Pierre St-Onge, director of the Center of Excellence for Sleep and Circadian Rhythms Research at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York, said in a news release. St-Onge was not involved in the new investigation.
