Long-Term Melatonin Use Linked to 90 Percent Higher Risk of Heart Failure, Study Finds

People who use melatonin supplements for a year or more face a roughly 90 percent higher risk of developing heart failure than those who don’t, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions.The study, which drew on data from the TriNetX Global Research Network — a large international database of de-identified electronic health records — examined five years of medical records for more than 130,000 adults diagnosed with chronic insomnia. Researchers split participants into two groups: those with at least 12 months of documented melatonin use and those with no recorded melatonin use. Anyone already diagnosed with heart failure or prescribed other sleep medications was excluded.Among the melatonin group, 4.6 percent developed heart failure over the following five years, compared to 2.7 percent in the comparison group — a difference of nearly 90 percent. A secondary analysis found that melatonin users were nearly 3.5 times as likely to be hospitalized for heart failure, with hospitalization rates of 19 percent versus 6.6 percent. Deaths from any cause were also higher: 7.8 percent in the melatonin group compared to 4.3 percent in the non-melatonin group.“Melatonin supplements are widely thought of as a safe and ‘natural’ option to support better sleep, so it was striking to see such consistent and significant increases in serious health outcomes, even after balancing for many other risk factors,” said the study’s lead author and chief resident in internal medicine at SUNY Downstate/Kings County Primary Care in Brooklyn, New York, Dr. Ekenedilichukwu Nnadi.“Melatonin supplements may not be as harmless as commonly assumed,” the doctor added. “If our study is confirmed, this could affect how doctors counsel patients about sleep aids.”The findings don’t prove that melatonin directly causes heart failure. Researchers acknowledged several important limitations. Because melatonin is available over the counter in the United States, many participants who purchased it without a prescription may have been incorrectly classified as non-users. The study also lacked data on the severity of participants’ insomnia or the presence of conditions like depression and anxiety — factors that could independently affect cardiovascular risk.“Worse insomnia, depression/anxiety, or the use of other sleep-enhancing medicines might be linked to both melatonin use and heart risk,” Dr. Nnadi wrote. “Also, while the association we found raises safety concerns about the widely used supplement, our study cannot prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship. This means more research is needed to test melatonin’s safety for the heart.”

Long-Term Melatonin Use Linked to 90 Percent Higher Risk of Heart Failure, Study Finds

Long-Term Melatonin Use Linked to 90 Percent Higher Risk of Heart Failure, Study Finds

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