Research Indicates Possible Increase in Cardiac Events Linked to Melatonin

• Research indicates an increased risk of cardiac insufficiency in users of melatonin.
• Researchers are calling for further studies on the use of melatonin without a prescription.
• Doctors recommend discussing melatonin use with specialists.

Washington — It is not worth panicking over headlines that link melatonin with cardiac insufficiency.

This information emerged after some troubling reports about previous research that raised questions regarding the safety of long-term melatonin use for treating insomnia.

Doctors have long known that melatonin deficiency or interrupted sleep increases the risk of cardiac events. However, experts note that this type of observational research cannot conclude that melatonin use directly causes cardiac issues, rather it may reflect other underlying factors that patients are trying to treat.

“It’s not worth raising alarm and telling patients to stop taking melatonin,” said Dr. Pratik Sandesara, a cardiologist with Emory Healthcare, who was not involved in the research.

Our bodies naturally produce melatonin, a hormone that regulates our sleep cycles. Melatonin levels typically rise in the dark, inducing sleepiness. People can take melatonin, synthesized in laboratories, to help adjust or adapt to changes in time zones.

New research utilized electronic medical records, tracking adults, in which diagnoses of insomnia and any prescriptions for melatonin indicated that they had used melatonin supplements in the previous year.

Over the past five years, 4.6% of regular melatonin users developed cardiac insufficiency compared to 2.7% of patients without melatonin, whose medical records did not indicate melatonin use. This research will be presented at an upcoming meeting of the American Heart Association, but has not yet undergone peer review.

Only in some states is a prescription required for melatonin. In the U.S., it is sold over-the-counter, which means that Americans in the study could have used supplements without registration, noted Dr. Clyde Yancey of Northwestern University, who also did not participate in the research. The study also did not indicate dosing.

Moreover, supplements in the U.S. do not require government approval, which means that brands can vary in strength. Researchers from SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University characterized this data as a call for further studies.

At the same time, patients interested in melatonin should discuss this with their doctors, noted Sandesara from Emory. As a rule, doctors recommend its use for short-term insomnia, for instance, when changing time zones.

Yancey noted that while the research does not prove that long-term melatonin use is unsafe, it also does not provide evidence that its use is harmless.

One of the keys to better sleep is maintaining a dark environment, for example, ensuring darkness in the bedroom.

“When we dim the lights, especially at night, we lower melatonin levels. This science,” he noted. Problems with light are not only about being sleepy and fatigued — it can put you at risk for issues.

Tags: Research