Overview
- The findings were presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions and have not undergone peer review.
- The TriNetX analysis examined 130,828 adults diagnosed with insomnia, about half with at least one year of recorded melatonin use.
- Over five years, long-term users had about a 90% higher incidence of heart failure compared with matched nonusers.
- Secondary outcomes were larger, with roughly 3.5 times higher hospitalization for heart failure and about double the all-cause mortality risk.
- A subgroup with at least two prescriptions 90 days apart showed similarly elevated risk, as researchers flagged missing severity and psychiatric data and possible OTC exposure misclassification while experts called for randomized trials and clinical review of chronic use.