Chronic Melatonin Use May Raise Risk of Heart Failure, Study Suggests

Melatonin is a well-known go-to sleep aid, but researchers are still teasing out the supplement’s side effects, especially as long-term use becomes increasingly common. And now, a preliminary study out today suggests taking melatonin for more than a year may be linked to heart problems and early death.

Researchers studied the medical records of people with chronic insomnia, finding that those who were prescribed melatonin for at least a year were more likely to develop heart failure and more likely to die from any cause. The study has important limitations, the authors note, but the findings are motivation for scientists to look further into melatonin’s potential health risks.

“These findings challenge the perception of melatonin as a benign chronic therapy and underscore the need for

r