Long term melatonin use may raise heart failure risk study finds

A new study has raised concerns about the long term safety of melatonin, a widely used sleep aid, after finding that adults with chronic insomnia who took the supplement for at least a year had a significantly higher risk of developing heart failure over the next five years.

Researchers analyzed electronic health records from the TriNetX Global Research Network, which includes de-identified patient data from multiple countries. They identified 130,828 adults diagnosed with insomnia, half of whom had been prescribed melatonin for at least 12 months. The remaining participants had no recorded melatonin use. Individuals with a prior diagnosis of heart failure or those prescribed other sleep medications like benzodiazepines were excluded from the study.