Overview
- Researchers at SUNY Downstate reviewed health records for more than 130,000 U.S. adults with chronic insomnia over five years.
- People using melatonin for at least a year showed about a 90% higher incidence of new heart failure compared with nonusers.
- Hospitalizations for heart failure were reported in 19% of long-term users versus 6% of nonusers, and all-cause mortality was nearly doubled.
- The study, presented at the American Heart Association meeting, lacks dosage data and may miss over-the-counter use, with potential confounding from conditions such as sleep apnea.
- Study leaders and sleep experts call for randomized controlled trials and advise clinicians to reassess long-term recommendations, noting prior safety warnings from Germany’s BfR.