In the News: Does Melatonin Use Cause Negative Heart Effects?

We see health trends in the news all the time, but a recent headline about melatonin and its effect on heart health has sparked a lot of conversation.

Melatonin is a natural hormone produced by our brains to promote better sleep. Since melatonin is something the human body already produces, it is often seen as a “natural” and safe option to support sleep cycles. However, recent studies have raised concerns that long-term use of melatonin (more than one year) may be associated with an increased risk of heart failure. Heart failure is a condition where the heart is not able to properly pump blood throughout the body.

Here is what we know:

There have been a few preliminary studies done regarding melatonin’s effect on the heart, but there are multiple limitations to these initial studies. According to lead research authors, “…much more research needs to be done in order to assess melatonin’s safety for the heart.” Therefore, researchers have not yet concluded a cause and effect relationship on long-term melatonin use causing heart failure. However, there are some important clinical thoughts to note.

Assess Your Nighttime Routine:

If you notice you are having trouble sleeping (outside of the occasional restless night or two), it may be worth it to take a look at your nighttime routine. Oftentimes, should there not be other underlying health concerns, promoting a consistent and healthy sleep environment can be more effective than supplements alone. There are multiple things that can affect our sleep including our diet, stress levels, blue light exposure, and more!

Below is a link to a Kinetiq Health blog that helps to walk you through how to set an effective and healthy nighttime routine to promote better sleep:

– Develop an Effective Nighttime Routine to Promote Well-Being | Kinetiq

Speak with Your Primary Care Provider:

Should you already have a healthy nighttime routine in place and notice you are still having consistent trouble sleeping, it is important to bring this concern up with your Primary Care Provider. Unfortunately, there may be some underlying causes to your sleep trouble that would require further assessment and testing in order to diagnose.

One of these causes could be sleep apnea, a condition where your body is not breathing optimally when you sleep. This is a common but serious condition that can put a lot of stress on your heart over time. If someone is having persistent trouble sleeping despite multiple changes to their lifestyle, there’s a possibility that they could simply have a sleep apnea diagnosis that they’re not yet aware of. An unknown sleep apnea diagnosis would naturally put stress on the heart, and if this lasts long enough, it could lead to long-term complications.

Thankfully, a quick conversation with your doctor regarding your concerns can be helpful to determine the cause of your lack of sleep. Their assessment may lead to a specialist referral, lab tests, and/or an initial “sleep study” to help you get the answers you need!

– A sleep study is a test that diagnoses sleep disorders through monitoring your brain waves, oxygen levels, and heart rate during a sleep cycle.

For further information on the initial studies regarding melatonin and heart concerns, please refer to the resources below:

– Long-term use of melatonin supplements to support sleep may have negative health effects | American Heart Association

– Research Suggests Long-Term Melatonin Use For Insomnia Increases HF Risk | American College of Cardiology

– Melatonin supplements and heart failure: What to know | CNN

If you would like to learn even more about promoting healthy routines, please tune into our Kinetiq Health webinar with our Registered Dietitian and Licensed Clinical Social Worker:

– Building Routines for Health and Well-being | Apex Benefits Well Being Webinar