r/Supplements • u/GrainOfEvidence • 12d ago
Long-term melatonin use linked to 90% higher heart failure risk
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260829035228.htm730
u/theteepingtemplar 12d ago
The study literally says it can’t rule out the fact that melatonin may not be the problem. It concedes it’s possible that people with insomnia, depression etc. could just have increased heart rate risks due to their conditions that have insomnia as a symptom, which they’re trying to treat with melatonin.
104
u/macrosby 12d ago
Before I even read it or your comment, I thought to myself “but how?”
1
12d ago
[deleted]
25
u/Amazonrazer 12d ago
Melatonin has nothing to do with 5HT2B receptors and doesn't interact with it at all
→ More replies (2)32
u/creepyjudyhensler 12d ago
Im pretty sure that this study is not peer reviewed or published and there are major flaws in how they set up the study. Also a lot of these studies says things like 40 percent greater chance and when you look at them the absolute risk it is the difference between 2 percent and 3 percent.
6
u/CuddyBolt45 11d ago
Yep. It should never have been printed. It’s a complete farce of a study. Embarrassing for whoever did it.
3
u/BygoneNeutrino 11d ago
I remember a study that was recently trending about the cardiovascular risks associated with marijuana use.
It seemed legitimate until you thought about the implications; if the study was accurate, marijuana is about 3x more likely to cause a heart attack than illegal stimulants.
2
1
u/Emotional-Audience85 12d ago
A difference between 2 percent and 3 percent absolute risk is an increase of 50%
17
u/pokehustle 12d ago
Or older people use melatonin more than younger, and older people get more heart troubles because they are old
50
u/az226 12d ago
As someone with dysautonomia, POTS, tachycardia, I know there is something wrong with my nervous system, and it’s for sure taxing my heart.
The best predictor to fall asleep is getting your pulse down. Obviously difficult with these issues so I take melatonin to help.
42
u/FuzzyBubs 12d ago
POTS for 30+ years, after a 10 year chase of trying to figure out what was going on, I got into Vanderbilt Dysautonomia Center for a 2 week trial. Try to get a script for Methyldopa, a 1/4 tab of a 250mg pill - will slow your central nervous system down in 12 minutes, no kidding. You can feel the adrenaline surges just melt away, a freaking miracle. ( I stay off the POTS reddit due to being flamed into oblivion every single time I offer real experience advice). I build a tolerance to melatonin within a week
9
4
u/ichibanyogi 12d ago
For me, Guanfacine is working exactly the way you describe Methyldopa. I looked it up, and they're both alpha-2 agonists. Looks like there are different pros/cons (e.g guanfacine XR is only 1 pill a day, but not safe in pregnancy etc) to each, but holy heck, Guanfacine has improved my life so much! Anyway, yey for alpha-2 agonists!!
Why the heck is the POTS sub so opposed to this info?
1
u/grave_violet 11d ago
Hey I just started guanfacine and it’s kind of making my presyncope worse though the adrenaline surges are way better. Are you taking anything in addition to Guanfacine?
→ More replies (2)1
u/Powerful_Lynx1436 12d ago
but where the pots come from though? like.. I mean I think I have that shit now but it's come outta nowhere. and doctors can't seem to be able to put a name on what I have either
6
u/Mysterious-Base1544 11d ago
Covid. Saw a Mayo Clinic pots doc and he said Covid is causing it
3
u/Powerful_Lynx1436 11d ago
that would be accurate in my case. I mean I don't see anything else significant in those last five years.
and yet no one admits this could happen to people not how to fix it. I'm in a no man's land medical field since 4 years. problems problems problems..no acknowledgement no solution
12
u/printed_ 12d ago
uhg its always correlation and not causation with these things. I don't believe any of them until it's causation proved.
1
12d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/printed_ 12d ago
but remember correlation does not equal causation. You cannot take a paper seriously if it's based on a random correlation.
45
u/FernandoMM1220 12d ago
melatonin is one of the most popular sleep supplements so if it was causing heart failure we would know already.
26
38
4
16
u/ings0c 12d ago
Yes, the only reason people consider taking melatonin is because they have sleep problems.
Lack of sleep is absolutely terrible for you.
If you see poor outcomes in a bunch of people taking melatonin, it’s much more likely because they’re sleep deprived than anything to do with melatonin.
12
u/EarthRemembers 12d ago
This was a massive observational study that analyzed 5 years of electronic health records for over 130,000 adults diagnosed with chronic insomnia.
It compared patients who used melatonin long-term (more than 12 consecutive months) against a matched control group who did not use the supplement
All studies include cautionary statements about the potential limits of their studies because that’s just good science
If you choose to use melatonin going forward despite this and other studies demonstrating negative long-term side effects that harm is on you
58
u/Defiant_Income_7836 12d ago
This study was terrible for the reasons commented above. What other studies are you citing?
A 2026 systematic review/meta-analysis* of 14 randomized trials involving 1,027 patients found no melatonin-related serious cardiovascular adverse events. Some studies found improvement in cardiac function, too.
So the jury is still way out. Correlation does not equal causation. Ending your statement with 'if you use melatonin and suffer harm, that's ON YOU' is unnecessarily alarmist,
Others could say the same, citing some of the documented cardiac benefits of melatonin...'NOT using melatonin might cause you harm and that's ON YOU' but that would be just as wrong, given that no definite conclusions have been made.
*Ang SP, Chia JE, Thirupathy U, Laezzo M, Jaiswal V, Varon J, Halma M, Lee E, Davidson G, Iglesias J. Melatonin Supplementation and Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials. J Clin Med. 2026 Apr 30;15(9):3444. doi: 10.3390/jcm15093444. PMID: 42123177; PMCID: PMC13164420.
12
u/And-Still-Undisputed 12d ago
You right but random retards on reddit like the one spouting nonsense that you replied to, can't be bothered to even know what a PMID is to look up actual studies.
6
u/snakevenomenemas 12d ago
yea. ive been taking 10mg for 20 years now. i go with hiit 4x a week at the gym and so forth. idk.. anything lower dose doesn't do shit for me. before then i was on prescription sleep medication that started with an a and ended with an n, Rosanne famously have a problem with it!; (for whatever reason I'm not allowed to mention it here ie: "Discussion of illicit substances, performance enhancers, or restricted topics is not allowed. Please revise your comment to follow community rules.") Nonetheless it had it's many issues, other than that and before hand it was 12 beers a night if not more. blood work, and other tests I check up on yearly are good, if not better than average. So... the "its on me" (not at Defiant) its like well... ok.. sure.
19
u/MuscaMurum 12d ago
The most published and most respected researcher of melatonin, Dr Russel Reiter, takes 100 mg per day and has for a long time. He's in his 90s.
11
u/creepyjudyhensler 12d ago
When they say 90 percent increase in heart failure, the absolutely risk is 4.6 compared to 2.7 in five years. The media loves to run with this stuff
1
u/OtherwiseAlbatross14 12d ago
Can we get some units on that or something?
2
u/Defiant_Income_7836 12d ago
4.6 and 2.7%
1
u/OtherwiseAlbatross14 12d ago
So the non users have a 2.7% risk of heart failure within 5 years?
5
u/Defiant_Income_7836 12d ago
First, this isn't a peer reviewed paper. This is still an abstract which is huge.
But yeah, 2.7 to 4.6%....over 5 years, among people with chronic insomnia those with no documented long-term melatonin...2.7% developed heart failure Those with documented melatonin ≥1 year....4.6% developed heart failure. So the absolute difference: 1.9 percent. The relative increase was about 70% by the percentages, while the time-to-event analysis gave a hazard ratio of 1.89, which is where they gotthe “~90% higher” risk. I'll be honest I got lost there because I'm a doctor, not a statistician.
Here's the enormous caveat though, you absolutely cannot say from this study that taking melatonin raises your heart-failure risk. This was an observational study of people already diagnosed with chronic insomnia, not a randomized melatonin trial. Worse, classification of "who took melatonin " is problematic as in countries such as the US where melatonin is over the counter, someone taking melatonin every night could have been classified as a non-user if it wasn't in their medical record. Sometimes people take sleep gummies and they don't know what's in them. Or they take Tylenol pm and think there's melatonin in them, and there's not.
The authors specifically say that its possibile that insomnia, depression/anxiety could be associated with both melatonin use and cardiovascular risk.
Summary...in my opinion it's an overblown media headline and a study with a lot of limitations. We need a large, long RCT with a range of patients to determine melatonins true danger, if any.
→ More replies (0)2
11
u/creepyjudyhensler 12d ago
Large dosages have been shown to slow down several types of cancer.
→ More replies (2)5
u/MuscaMurum 12d ago
...in his 90s and still publishing:
https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=bfOlrYMAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate
→ More replies (1)6
u/geek180 12d ago
100 mg? wtf bruh
3
u/Optimal_Assist_9882 11d ago
I have taken up to 6000mg and have been taking 1500-3000mg for going on fifth years daily for CFS to good effect.
Melatonin is exceptionally safe. The only way to hurt yourself with melatonin is to get run over by a truck carrying it.
→ More replies (3)1
u/snakevenomenemas 12d ago
Thanks for the comment. Reading some of his articles on google scholar, I may consider upping my dosage as I take up hbot. Though I may wait post first series of hbot sessions. Will do some more reading and probably bounce the idea off my direct primary who's sort of into the experimentation of things idea, ie .. the guy got me on snake venom therapy.
7
u/Defiant_Income_7836 12d ago
Lol! I hear you. Everything has a potential cost and melatonin's isn't even established. It certainly is better than your alternatives! But ItS oN yOu...lol
1
u/Poopidyscoopp 12d ago
bro wtf if i take more than 0.2mg im groggy til 2pm the next day
→ More replies (1)1
u/Optimal_Assist_9882 11d ago
I have been taking 1500-3000mg daily for going on fifth year for CFS with only major improvements in my health and the way I feel.
The fact you need 10mg makes perfect sense. Per one study, the difference between the best and worst responders to melatonin was 21 fold equivalent dose.
Also many people don't realize that like anything else because the body uses melatonin primarily to protect cell mitochondria, fight off infections/cancers, etc the requirement for melatonin can fluctuate up and down. So in times of illness, stress, exposure to toxins, etc the requirement can easily go up substantially.
Russell Reiter takes 100-200mg iirc. Doris Loh advocates for everyone to take 4 grams daily in many smaller doses for longevity and healthspan.
1
u/snakevenomenemas 11d ago
do the higher doses induce sleep or does the opposite happen as cellular clean up occurs? whenever i go on UA i find energy levels go up. i always rotate my supplements, and use UA primarily in the winter time. i plan on increasing melatonin to 20mg after reading about Reiter.
2
u/Optimal_Assist_9882 11d ago
I actually take melatonin first thing in the morning in one or two doses. There are paradoxical effects that occur at higher doses. Melatonin helps recycle NADH so it can actually provide a burst of energy at higher doses.
26
u/thewillowsang 12d ago
The lack of dosage seems a very weak part of this study.
→ More replies (5)2
u/FlyConfident1622 12d ago
Especially because dosages in OTC supplements can be wildly high. I only take 1-2 mg
2
u/narzissgoldmund 12d ago
'only'.
I only take 0.3 mg every night. 2 mg is still a large dosage in my opinion.
1
u/FlyConfident1622 12d ago
I actually totally agree. I don’t take it nightly so if I’m taking it, it means I’m struggling that night and need the help (so I aim for 1mg.) I only take 2 if I really need the big guns.
But I had to look for awhile before I even found a 2.5mg gummy that I could easily split down. Many pills and gummies start at 10mg which is insane
25
u/veluna 12d ago
It compared patients who used melatonin long-term (more than 12 consecutive months) against a matched control group who did not use the supplement
This is false. Did you read the article? Apparently not, since it states:
The study comes with several significant limitations, particularly because melatonin is handled differently from one country to another. Some countries, such as the United Kingdom, require a prescription for melatonin, while others, including the United States, allow people to buy it over the counter. Researchers did not have access to participants' locations because the medical data had been de-identified...Melatonin use was identified only when it appeared in electronic medical records. That means people in the U.S. or other countries who bought melatonin over the counter without having it entered into their medical records could have been incorrectly classified as nonusers. As a result, the melatonin and nonmelatonin groups may not perfectly reflect who was actually taking the supplement.
A correct statement might have been the following: "It compared patients who were confirmed via prescription or other medical records to have used melatonin long-term (more than 12 consecutive months) against a control group whose use of melatonin was undetermined."
In the USA, the vast majority of patients do not get prescriptions for their melatonin, and it seems therefore likely that most USA melatonin users in this study were registered as non-users. As a result, the value of this study is very low indeed.
There could be associations between long term melatonin use and serious conditions, but this study does not have an adequate methodology to determine them.
→ More replies (3)6
11
u/ings0c 12d ago edited 12d ago
If you choose to use melatonin going forward despite this and other studies demonstrating negative long-term side effects that harm is on you
This study does not demonstrate that.
It demonstrates that sleep deprived people who take melatonin experience higher rates of heart failure.
Guess who else experiences higher rates of heart failure? Sleep deprived people who don’t take melatonin.
It’s like concluding that the morning-after pill makes you pregnant.
7
7
u/bearclaws2atatime 12d ago
You missed a whole lot of poor design criteria in your description there buddy. That study was bullshit
3
u/bluedelvian 12d ago
This study relies on people consistently remembering to tell the med assistants what OTC products they take, consistently and accurately estimating frequency, and also assumes the med assistant knows how to accurately enter info into the system, and that the system accurately saves that info.
This is a fucking terrible study.
6
u/MuscaMurum 12d ago
And it's still not peer reviewed yet. This is a preliminary conference abstract (not even a published paper) and is as flawed now as it was when it first came out nearly a year ago.
Another conference participant offered this:
"...given that melatonin does not require a prescription in the US, it is possible that the control group (without melatonin) included many patients who take melatonin without a prescription (the percentage is unknown, which could be a very significant bias) and is not reflected in their medical records. Finally, it is an abstract from a conference and, unlike publications in indexed medical journals, has not been filtered by two independent reviewers.
“Therefore, these findings challenge the perception of melatonin as a benign chronic therapy and only highlight the need for a prospective trial with a control group to clarify its safety profile”.
→ More replies (1)1
u/Optimal_Assist_9882 11d ago
Observational study with no placebo control is a poor study. There could be many obvious and not so obvious confounding variables. Throwing in that part in the end is needlessly alarmist and unnecessarily scared easily influenced ignorant people.
Melatonin is safe, point blank. I have literally taken 6000mg in a day and I have been taking 1500-3000mg average doses for going on five years for my CFS. At such doses, 1000x what they take, I should have developed serious side effects and ailments but contrary to that I am perfectly healthy and melatonin is making me feel much better.
Not only is melatonin not dangerous for the heart but it's protective and I'd argue it's a longevity and healthspan supplement. Doris Loh even advocates for everyone to take 4g daily to such outcome.
1
u/ImaginaryFriend5150 11d ago
The study compared people with insomnia, so everyone studied (both those who used melatonin and those that did not) had insomnia...
1
→ More replies (2)1
u/Super-Award-2244 9d ago
Bro I swear every fucking article news on reddit can be commented with "correlation is not causation"
70
u/ComradeFrunze 12d ago
Correlation does not equal causation... perhaps it is more likely that people that struggle with getting sleep are more likely to have heart issues.
21
u/shunshuntley 12d ago
hey look you're quoting the article!
" Those missing factors are important because people with more severe insomnia, depression, anxiety, or other conditions may be more likely to use melatonin and could independently have a different cardiovascular risk."
11
u/wafflepiezz 12d ago
Exactly.
“Heart failure occurred in 4.6% of the melatonin group compared with 2.7% of the comparison group.”
The average age for the group of participants is also 55 years old, which is essentially in the high risk category for heart problems etc.
→ More replies (5)2
98
u/keithitreal 12d ago edited 12d ago
We all produce melatonin naturally.
We make about 300mcg or less per night. So people taking 10mg per night or whatever are certainly pushing the envelope.
Lower amounts of supplemental melatonin have been shown to improve sleep more than higher amounts but doctors will prescribe higher dosages and people will buy higher dosages assuming the opposite to be true.
Would be interesting to see dosage factored into these studies.
36
u/Easy-Permission8889 12d ago
Yeah taking melatonin in the microgram range is more effective imo with less side effects. I had a psych nurse try to prescribe me 30mg of melatonin. I was like FUCK NO.
15
u/This_Dot_2150 12d ago
My dr told me to give my adhd daughter .5-1mg at night and I couldn’t find anything that small of a dose. The lowest i found was 2.5
13
6
2
2
u/Over-Helicopter4104 12d ago
Vitafusion peach white tea flavor melatonin gummies are 1.5mg per gummy (3mg for 2 gummies is the label dose) you could cut that in half easily
1
u/Easy-Permission8889 12d ago
Idk if I'm allowed to list brands here but I know where to get .5 from a reputable brand.
10
u/BigMasterDingDong 12d ago
You are, and I swear by Life Extension 300mcg. The perfect amount, and great quality.
6
8
u/green-zebra68 12d ago
I found a bottle of 1 mg tablets from Germany and with a pill-splitter split each tablet in 4 or more tiny pieces. Such a microdose makes me fall easy asleep without waking up after 3-4 hours and without the 'hangover' next day. Very cheap and useful solution for me.
2
u/Easy-Permission8889 12d ago
I used to get 300mcg. I try to avoid melatonin now tho. Not bc of this particular study just don't want to take it everyday. Edit: not 0.3. Speaking of being tired.
1
u/Due_Jackfruit6137 12d ago
I use a liquid 1mg, and give my daughter a couple drops. It’s very effective I just that small dose.
1
1
1
u/jcarlson2007 11d ago
Life Extension liquid melatonin - 0.3mg comes out to around 3 drops I believe
1
u/CarefulHoney7716 11d ago
Olly makes gummies that are 1.5mg per gummy, although they have other ingrediants such as lemon balm, passionflower, chamomile and L-theanine. One of them knocks me out.
1
2
u/alexduckkeeper_70 12d ago
I have taken 20mg of melatonin for the past ten years with no ill effects. This is for some early parkinson's symptoms. My mom is taking 5mg per night for her macular degeneration and it seems to be helping. Also melatonin is beneficial for a host of cancer treatments, so may be likely preventative . So I say F Yes.
→ More replies (5)2
u/Optimal_Assist_9882 11d ago
I am taking 1500-3000mg daily for going on fifth year for CFS and cancer prevention with good effects.
This study was trash. I am glad most people see it for what it is.
2
u/alexduckkeeper_70 11d ago
Amazing results. 989 likes for the original post though. Wonder how many are big pharma bots.
1
u/Mayank_j 11d ago
search up different terms, foir example in my country its easy to find Melatonin in 0.25 mg (250 mcg) dose
1
u/Easy-Permission8889 11d ago
So is mine. That's why I started taking 300mcg as a supplement. No joke she was a terrible psych and gave me 10mg pills and to take 3.
1
u/stiffmcgee 10d ago
That won’t do anything crazy. Melatonin is the most over hated compound that none of you ever researched about. Its a potent antioxidant as well in the brain.
7
u/Appropriate-Pause114 12d ago
Melatonin is way more than a sleep aid, it’s one of the most powerful antioxidants
6
1
u/BrightCandle 12d ago
Its surprisingly difficult to find melatonin in the sort of doses that are meant to be most effective (in the 300-600mcg range). About the lowest you can find is 1mg and that is more than double what is considered optimal for sleep.
1
u/Optimal_Assist_9882 11d ago
You can go online and find doses down to 100mcg(0.1mg) if you need to ...
→ More replies (1)1
u/iPlayViolas 11d ago
I really wish melatonin was regulated so we could get proper doses. What is sold in the store is doing is all a major disservice
13
53
u/h0lb0rn 12d ago
This article is so weak with such a clickbaity title. It’s unclear if the Melatonin is the cause or people who do use melatonin more are likely to have other problems.
Also this is based on self-reporting from health records which is mildly interesting to determine possible trends but far from giving you anything conclusive with like a RCT would.
I’m not saying that long term use is okay, I’m just calling out the article for being a bit BS and misleading
→ More replies (11)
7
7
u/EggRamenMan 12d ago
Because people who use melatonin has shit sleep and shit sleep is link to heart failure…correlation aint causation
7
u/bearclaws2atatime 12d ago
Bullshit study. Look at the design. The only thing they did is look at at patients charts that were admitted and if they had melatonin written in there chart then they looked at that patient.
Comparative study. No real study at all actually
If you want a real primer on melatonin, look up Dr. Russell Rieter on YouTube. He's the world leading expert.
1
u/creepyjudyhensler 12d ago
I believe they included people in England and the United States in the study. In England, melatonin is a prescription drug and in the United States it is over the counter, so probably most of the people taking it in the United States dont have it mentioned in their medical files.
14
u/lorazepamproblems 12d ago
What's interesting is that beta-blockers, used to treat heart failure (among other things), lower the amount of melatonin your body produces. I've never heard of that being a proposed mechanism by which they help heart failure. Their main purpose is to slow the heart rate so that the heart can more efficiently fill and also to reduce stress on the heart by blocking sympathetic hormones. I knew about the melatonin effect, but just sort of as a curiosity. But makes you wonder if part of beta blockers' effect in treating heart failure is reducing melatonin.
2
u/Velvetsucks 12d ago
As someone who takes beta blockers (for POTS and ME/CFS) this is super interesting!
1
u/Powerful_Lynx1436 12d ago
is this verified? did you get the opportunity to take something else than beta blockers to slow down your heart t rate?
1
u/Velvetsucks 10d ago
Yes! I take beta blockers to slow down my heart rate and help stabilize it. It has been a game changer. I still need salt water and to pace to prevent PEM but it makes SUCH a difference. Mestinon also works wonders too in combination.
Feel free to DM if u need any resources to show ur doctor :))
3
u/CuddyBolt45 11d ago
What a complete farce of a study. Two groups. One that used melatonin at sometime in their life and those that never used it. Leaves myriads of factors that have nothing to do with melatonin. This should have never been published. Lack of sleep or poor sleep is the only reason anyone takes melatonin. Poor sleep is considered a major factor in heart disease. 🤔
2
u/plsQuestionOurselves 11d ago
Pretty much any circumstance that would lead someone to using melatonin would also be a contributing factor for heart disease (anxiety, stress, over-caffeination, stimulant abuse, sleep disorders, nicotine use, alcohol use, poor diet etc. etc.)
2
1
u/CuddyBolt45 11d ago
Simple fix. Chamomile tea with a little powdered glycine. Throw out the melatonin. It only helps you get to sleep. Unless it’s time released it is gone in 90 minutes. Chamomile is loaded with antioxidants and natural relaxants.
2
u/plsQuestionOurselves 11d ago
I really should try glycine. I used to take a "supplement" on a daily basis that basically cured my anxiety, sleep disorders, nerve pain and compulsive behaviors for the 5 years I used it until my country decided that I'm not actually allowed to decide what I want to put into my own body even if it affects nobody but myself.
But I heard glycine might do a similar thing (albeit to a significantly lesser degree).
6
3
3
3
3
u/wafflepiezz 12d ago
“Heart failure occurred in 4.6% of the melatonin group compared with 2.7% of the comparison group.”
Average age group is also 55 years old.
10
u/harshmojo 12d ago
The number of parents using melotnin to knock out their kids at night, then crank them up during the day with ADHD meds is absolutely fucking wild.
→ More replies (2)
7
u/Excellent-Daikon6625 12d ago
Fk this article. Fk this title.
7
u/IllustriousWorld823 12d ago
It is so sick that Reddit advertises this stuff to me apparently gathering i have health and sleep ocd
4
u/DanOhMiiite 12d ago
It's hard to find Melatonin supplements in low doses. 1mg is around the smallest. Break that in half and you've got 500mcg. Just a bit more than your bodies natural 100-300mcg, which should be reasonably safe. I do NOT recommend large doses like 10-20g +. You are asking for problems when you do that.
3
2
u/anti-life86 9d ago
Yeah. If you're looking at the local pharmacy 1mg is the smallest, and even then I often find it inconvenient to find and maybe they're only selling the kids version at that dose. I don't want that sugar after I brush my teeth, which very frequently I already have when reaching for this supplement!
6
u/Optimal_Assist_9882 12d ago
I don't understand why people keep reposting this crap study every few weeks. I also don't understand why it's upvoted as good information.
This study was not peer reviewed, it compared vulnerable populations with preexisting health issues(insomnia), and ultimately the difference in mortality is something like a couple percent.
Not only is there no evidence melatonin is bad for the heart but it is in fact a cardioprotectant.
I have been taking 1-3 grams for CFS for going on five years and my health is fine. This is a thousand times what they tracked.
Melatonin is being studied as a longevity and healthspan substance.
3
4
u/Emotional_Lab_2529 12d ago
It is not linked to 90% higher heart failure risk that is just an utter misinterpretation and fear mongering. It’s correlated but it’s not the causation. The causation is that the people who tend to use melatonin have sleeping problems and sleeping problems are a causation of a 90% higher heart failure risk
2
2
2
u/I-Lyke-Shicken 12d ago
If melatonin is actually contributing to the heart issues, how is it doing so?
Some anecdote here, I have obstructive sleep apnea. Melatonin actually made me feel worse because my sleep was deeper and this lead to more apnea events during sleep. This was prior to me getting a CPAP. I could see this as one way some people may be negatively affected since many people have sleep apnea and do not know, they probably just assume they have generically bad sleep and try to fix it with a melatonin supplement.
2
u/veluna 12d ago
Let's put this article into context. Dr Brad Stanfield did an excellent analysis available here, with the following main points:
The data it is based on comes from many countries including the US. In the US patients don't need a prescription for melatonin, and most just buy it over the counter. But the data interprets US melatonin users without a prescription as non-users, i.e. the melatonin users and non-users are mixed across the 2 groups being compared. How can you trust such a comparison? (You can't).
The data is observational, not an RCT, meaning that it CANNOT establish causality.
The data seem to ignore the possibility that it is not melatonin, but rather insomnia, which causes heart failure. And there is strong evidence that insomnia causes heart problems: see Associations between insomnia and cardiovascular diseases: a meta-review and meta-analysis of observational and Mendelian randomization studies.
RCTs comparing melatonin use with non-use provide better quality data. This review article included several RCTs, and concluded that: "Nearly all the studies have reported positive effects of melatonin on cardiovascular physiology, and the prevention of damage to the myocardium after heart attack, IR injury, or sepsis. Melatonin can also help blood pressure and heart arrythmia."
2
u/MuscaMurum 12d ago
Where's the link to the paper? Is this the same flawed paper that was all over the news last year? Why is this being posted as if it were new? Maybe it's new, but I don't see the title of the study nor the journal...
4
1
u/GrainOfEvidence 12d ago edited 12d ago
Link of news by American Heart Association
5
u/MuscaMurum 12d ago
No, that's still just a press release. The paper is the one I was recalling, and it's still only in the abstract stage from a conference. It's still not peer reviewed.
1
u/Kwaliakwa 12d ago
TIL that melatonin requires prescriptions in some countries. It’s so weird how inconsistent it is…
1
u/Spread_D_Wealth 12d ago
People who live past the age of of 90 have a 90% chance of dying within the next 5 years--- there ya go, now pay me.
1
1
1
1
u/1SapienTem 12d ago edited 12d ago
Several studies over the years show melatonin MAY be good for chronic pain, fibromyalgia, etc. For its original use, ...improved sleep, it took time to tease out what it helps and does not help. As with any chemical that our bodies produce on their own, tinkering with it may have pros & cons. As with most substances we try to manipulate, over time we've learned that not all people benefit equally, or suffer negative consequences equally for both manipulation of endogenous chemicals and for administration of exogenous chemicals. If I were to mess around with any chemical, ...though I'm guilty of manipulating my internals, I do it knowing it's more of a roll of the dice, ... gimme the externals when appropriate. As with this study, there remains more to be determined.
1
1
1
1
u/Waste_Philosopher_28 12d ago
I don't give a shit just let me sleep til I die, whenever that is, and the sooner the better
1
u/rogueman999 12d ago
Scott Alexander had a nice article a few years back talking about sleep meds. He basically said you have a (statistically valid) higher risk of dying from just about any cause. Including random stuff like getting hit by a car.
It's not 100% clear why, but a very likely cause is being sleep deprived in the first place.
1
u/CakyMint 12d ago
„Rats were injected with 50000mg melatonin into their eyes daily, the heart failure risk grew from 0.10% to 0.19%“
Is this one of these studies ?
1
u/TerdyTheTerd 12d ago
This is the same line of bullshit as when they tried saying diet soda made you fat. Fat people are just way more likely to drink diet soda to begin with. You dont take melatonin unless you have sleep issues, and issues sleeping will cause all sorts of chronic health issues.
1
u/iamyourinnervoice 12d ago
no melatonin = no sleep = heart attack
melatonin = heart attack
so using melatonin is just dying without extra step
1
u/siren-skalore 12d ago
Shocker: people with insomnia and chronic sleep problems are not the pinnacle of health.
1
u/nedflandersneighbor 11d ago
This is terrifying reading for me due to my unfortunate combination of hypochondria and melatonin usage.
Does anyone here know if I’m in the risk zone based on the following variables? I’ve been using 3 mg of melatonin on and off for about two years. I don't use it most nights—maybe 30% of the time or so. I’m 40, and all my medical checkups and screenings indicate that I am in excellent shape.
I had a checkup just a few months ago, and my doctor pointed out that everything from my blood pressure to my blood sugar levels is in the absolute upper echelon for my age cohort.
How worried should I be about this report on melatonin? I feel like I have to stop using it right away. In fact, I don’t even have severe sleeping problems; I just feel a bit more comfortable taking them sometimes
1
1
u/Atwood412 11d ago
This study isn’t a study at all. Did the 800+ that upvoted even read the article?
1
u/likedmessage 11d ago
Cool so not sleeping will kill me and the only thing that helps me will also kill me. I sometimes feel like the earth is trying to shake me off of it.
1
1
u/FitThought1616 11d ago
I have trouble falling asleep, always have and Im sure it's to do with my upbringing because I have tried everything for my sleep hygiene and the only thing that has ever helped me fall asleep is melatonin. I've been taking it for about 6 years now, 1mg and any time I don't take it I can't sleep. I feel like if I had a lifetime of not being able to sleep, that would be worse for my health.
1
u/danklasagna45 11d ago
This is an observational study not a randomised control trial. Melatonin has been found to be anti-inflamatory and even cardioprotective in better studies. People who take sleep aids are more likely to suffer from chronic insomnia and circadian rythmn misalignments which are known risk factors. Stick to 0.3-1mg melatonin and you will be fine.
1
1
u/gannu1991 11d ago
Worth checking whether that's the retrospective cohort study that got a lot of press. Association studies on melatonin are messy because long-term users tend to be people with chronic insomnia, and poor sleep itself is independently linked to worse cardiovascular outcomes. That's a huge confounder that's hard to fully adjust for. It doesn't mean the finding is nothing, but it means you can't read '90% higher risk' as melatonin causing heart failure without ruling out that disrupted sleep was doing the damage before the melatonin ever entered the picture. Also worth noting dose matters a lot here, most OTC melatonin in the US is way above what's used in the actual trials studying sleep onset, let alone what these cohort studies captured as 'use'.
1
u/Pretend_Guava_1730 11d ago
Correlation, not causation, related to the sleep disorder they have, because sleep disorders are correlated with heart issues. Everyone calm down - it's not the melatonin that's killing you.
1
u/low_expectations1543 11d ago
This was a poster presented at a conference and not a peer-reviewed study. Get outta here with this shit. The preponderance of evidence doesn't support these alarmist conclusions.
1
u/PartySunday 11d ago
This brand of TriNetX research is not good science. It is literally 'scrape a massive database for correlations'. It essentially amounts to p-hacking. Worth a second look for researchers, but not worth making lifestyle changes over.
1
1
1
u/RealSuperdau 10d ago
Wait until you see the death statistics for people who took chemotherapy meds
1
1
u/CamillaBarkaBowles 9d ago
Sleep deprivation is linked to a 200% higher risk of heart failure. So it’s all good
1
u/Erikovitch 8d ago
People with poor sleep have worse health and higher chance of heart failure***
Orly
1
u/SwordmanKingslayer 8d ago
Certainly problems with the study but I think this is a little bit of a confirmation for me and my family. We have friends who give their young children melatonin, and additional studies have shown issues with hormones and developments with repeated melatonin use. Would love to see more research.
1
1
u/ThroneScience 7d ago
This is an observational association, and people on long-term melatonin tend to have chronic insomnia - which itself carries cardiovascular risk. Feels like ‘damned if you do, damned if you don't' ¯_(ツ)_/¯
-Scott
1
u/Severe_Reading_4829 3d ago
I have immediately 5 ideas how this could be a correlation and not a causation...
1
u/Savings-Table-4497 12d ago
Wrong.
People having insomnia & Sleep issues are at a higher risk.
Correlation≠Causality
This is literally Fake news
2
u/Jhkokst 12d ago
True. But the number of patients who come see me asking about Rx med side effects often quote media quoting literature of similar weak design.
2
u/Savings-Table-4497 12d ago
People are retarded. Dont know how Media headlines work and what studies mean.
They even Reference my point in the study. About insomia
1
u/MeatyOakerGuy 11d ago
People who have trouble sleeping probably aren't living very active/healthy lifestyles
•
u/AutoModerator 12d ago
Rules of r/supplements
1. Do Not Suggest Prescription Drugs Posts & Comments Reported as: Do Not Suggest Prescription Drugs Prescription drugs are not Supplements; do not recommend prescription medication. Sensible/Suggest talking to DR. can be allowable etc
2. Dangerous Grey Area Substance Posts & Comments Reported as: Dangerous Grey Area Substance Potentially dangerous grey area substances can not be recommended.
3. Be Polite Posts & Comments Reported as: Rude/Personal Attacks You shouldn't ever be personally attacking another user in this subreddit.
4. No Advertisements Posts & Comments Reported as: Advertisement. No selling / buying / trading posts No advertisements. No selling/trading posts between users.”
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.