11/07/2025
š Melatonin & Heart Risk? Letās Evaluate the New Study.
You may have seen headlines claiming āMelatonin linked to heart failure.ā
Hereās what the study really saidāand what it didnāt.
š§ A recent conference abstract (not peer-reviewed or published) looked at 130,000+ adults with insomnia.
Those who used melatonin for over a year were more likely to have heart failure, be hospitalized, or die from any cause.
Butā¦ ā ļø there are major limitations:
ā¢ No info on dose, timing, brand, or quality. OTC melatonin varies widely, and no dose-response was analyzed.
ā¢ Insomnia severity wasnāt measured. Worse insomnia itself raises heart riskāthis could be reverse causation.
ā¢ Sleep apnea wasnāt addressed. Itās a major hidden cause of both insomnia and heart issues.
ā¢ Lifestyle factors like alcohol, smoking, shift work, diet, and stress werenāt included.
ā¢ Medications & comorbidities (thyroid, anxiety, beta-blockers, antidepressants) also affect both sleep and heart health.
ā¢ And since melatonin is OTC in the U.S., many users werenāt even counted.
š©ŗ In plain English:
This study shows an association, not proof. Itās a reason to study melatonin safety moreānot a reason to panic or toss your supplements.
š” If you take melatonin:
āļø Ask why you need it nightly.
āļø Get screened for sleep apnea, thyroid, adrenal, and heart health.
āļø Prioritize circadian rhythm habitsāmorning light, consistent schedule, evening wind-down.
Melatonin is a hormone, not a vitamin. It deserves respectānot fear.
Letās focus on root causes of sleep issues, not quick fixes.
https://functionalhealthkc.com/
