Long-Term Melatonin Use Linked to Heart Risks, Study Finds

A new study presented at the American Heart Association meeting suggests that long-term melatonin use could be a signal of underlying heart issues rather than a direct cause of them.

Researchers at SUNY Downstate and Kings County Primary Care analyzed five years of electronic health records from more than 130,000 adults and found that people who took melatonin regularly for at least a year were nearly twice as likely to develop heart failure compared to non-users.

They were also three times more likely to be hospitalized for the condition and almost twice as likely to die during the study period.

The researchers emphasized that melatonin itself does not cause heart problems but may reflect chronic sleep disturbances linked to cardiovascular stress.

Experts caution that since melatonin is sold over the counter and often untracked in medical records, more research is needed to verify these findings.

With nearly 7 million Americans living with heart failure, cardiologists urge people taking melatonin long-term to consult a doctor and avoid chronic use without medical guidance.