If you often take melatonin gummies to help you sleep, you might want to take a step back. Chronic use of melatonin supplements may be a warning sign of heart failure in people with insomnia, according to a new study.
This study will be presented at an academic conference. American Heart Association It was not peer-reviewed and relied on electronic health record data.
For the study, researchers looked at data on more than 130,000 people diagnosed with insomnia and divided them into groups based on whether they were prescribed melatonin and how long they had been taking the supplement.
Of those who used melatonin, more than 65,000 used it chronically, meaning for more than a year. And people who took melatonin for at least a year were almost twice as likely to experience heart failure in the next five years compared to people who did not use melatonin.
Melatonin is a hormone that your body naturally produces on its own and is also found in some foods. Melatonin plays an important role in regulating the sleep-wake cycle, and as TODAY.com previously explained, supplements containing melatonin are popular over-the-counter sleep aids.
Melatonin supplements are generally safe, but they do not work for everyone and may cause side effects. And as a new study shows, frequent use of melatonin supplements may be a sign that underlying health problems, such as heart failure, are going untreated.
People in the group who took melatonin were more likely to be hospitalized for heart failure and more likely to die from any cause within five years compared to those who did not take melatonin.
“Melatonin supplements are widely known as a safe and ‘natural’ option to support better sleep, so it is surprising to see consistent and significant increases in serious health outcomes even after taking into account many other risk factors,” said Ekenedilichukwu Nnadi, MD, internal medicine resident at SUNY Downstate/Kings County Primary Care in New York City and senior author of the new study. press release.
Do melatonin supplements cause heart failure?
This study did not prove that melatonin directly causes heart problems. Instead, the need to take melatonin frequently over the long term may be a sign that an underlying health problem is hidden or not being managed well.
“Insomnia can increase blood pressure, stress hormones, and inflammation.” Nnadi He told NBC News.
Another limitation of the study is that the data, which includes patients from multiple countries, only captures patients who were prescribed melatonin supplements. Because these supplements are also available over-the-counter in the United States, this study likely does not represent the full picture of melatonin use in the United States.
And it’s unclear how well the results would apply to people who only use melatonin for occasional sleep problems.
For people who struggle to get consistent, good sleep, experts previously told TODAY.com that supplements generally shouldn’t be the first option.
For example, melatonin may be useful for people dealing with jet lag or working night shifts, Dr. Naima Covassin, a sleep disorders specialist and assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, recently told TODAY.com.
However, it should not be used to treat persistent insomnia.
“There have been many clinical trials, and most of them have not found that melatonin is better than placebo,” Philip Richard Gehrman, MD, associate professor of clinical psychology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, previously told TODAY.com.
“If it’s effective as a sleeping pill, I’m very humbled,” Gehrman said. Instead, evidence-based treatments for insomnia include cognitive behavioral therapy, lifestyle changes, and sometimes prescription medications.
And in general, experts reiterated to TODAY.com that you should talk to your doctor before adding a new supplement to your regimen and make sure it becomes a frequent habit. Supplements may seem harmless or “natural,” but they can have unintended consequences and even interact with prescription medications.
as follows: Council for Responsible NutritionA trade association for supplement companies noted in its response to the new study that melatonin supplements should only be used occasionally. And people who suffer from long-term sleep problems should consult a healthcare professional before using melatonin.
