Taking melatonin to fall asleep might come with an unexpected side effect, according to new research from the American Heart Association.
A review of health records from more than 130,000 adults found that people who used melatonin for a year or longer were significantly more likely to develop heart failure, be hospitalized for it, or die from any cause within five years.
The findings were presented on Monday at the association’s Scientific Sessions 2025 in New Orleans.
“Melatonin supplements may not be as harmless as commonly assumed,” Dr. Ekenedilichukwu Nnadi, the study’s lead author, said in a statement. “If our study is confirmed, this could affect how doctors counsel patients about sleep aids.”
This sounds like it’s probably a case of correlation != Causation. It’s probable that people taking it are more likely to have underlying conditions.
That is explicitly what the researchers say as quoted in the article
Yeah, but it’s helpful to have it posted here to provide common sense among the speculation in the comments.
I know that “linked to” does not formally claim causation and “might come with an unexpected side effect” is technically unfalsifiable, but I still think that journalists have a responsibility not to write such articles even when the researchers presenting the correlation are making an implausible claim that causation is likely.
This article does appropriately include some reasons to doubt the interpretation that melatonin causes heart failure, but nonetheless the very existence of the article will give members of the public the impression that there is good evidence that melatonin might be dangerous (which there isn’t). Readers depend on reporters’ judgement so many readers will think “If this isn’t important information, then why is it in the newspaper?”
Makes me think of the people who base their political opinions off little more than divisive headlines and click bait trash articles