New research presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2025 has shown that the long-term use of melatonin, a common sleep aid, may increase your risk of developing heart failure.
The study included a review of five years of health records for over 130,000 adults who had been diagnosed with insomnia. Half of the study participants had been prescribed melatonin and reported that they had taken it for at least one year. The other half of the participants were a control group who had never been prescribed melatonin; these participants were matched to those who had taken melatonin on 40 health factors, including demographics, diagnosed health conditions, and other medication use. The health records of both groups were reviewed over a five-year period and searched for issues including heart failure, hospitalization due to heart failure, and death. Melatonin and other supplements are not regulated and tend to have little long-term safety data. This study sought to determine whether the long-term use of melatonin may be associated with heart failure or death.
The results showed that the participants who reported that they had used melatonin for a year or more were more likely than the control group to be diagnosed with heart failure, be hospitalized due to heart failure, or die from any cause during the study period. While the nature of this study could only determine correlation and not cause-and-effect, these results raise safety concerns about the long-term use of melatonin supplements.
The authors of the study noted that melatonin use may not be as safe as previously thought, even though it is commonly considered a safe and natural sleep aid. Melatonin is widely available over the counter and is popular for treating insomnia and other sleep issues. However, the results of this study suggest that long-term use of melatonin may not be good for your heart or overall health.
Sources: AHA, Science Daily
