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By Peggy Peck, Managing Editor, MedPage Today
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
February 10, 2006
MedPage Today Action Points
* Explain to patients who ask that melatonin appears to be safe for short term use, but it is unlikely to improve a sleep disorder associated with medical conditions or a sleep disorder resulting from restricted sleep such as jet lag or work shifts.
Review
EDMONTON, Alberta, Feb. 10 - A Canadian group has issued a wake up alert on melatonin, the circadian-rhythm hormone that has been touted as the cure-all for jet leg. It doesn't work.
There is no evidence that exogenous melatonin, the hormone that regulates the body's inner clock , is effective for sleep disorders associated with shift work or jet lag, Nina Buscemi, Ph.D., of the University of Alberta and colleagues reported today in BMJ.
Put another way, melatonin cannot guarantee a good night's sleep to jet-lagged travelers or weary shift workers, said the investigators on the basis of a meta-analysis of 32 randomized controlled trials.
On the other hand, the analysis confirmed that short-term use of exogenous melatonin is safe.
For people with secondary sleep disorders, melatonin was associated with a slight increase in sleep duration (10 minutes) and this effect was statistically significant, but the authors said that based on advice from clinical sleep experts they "considered this effect to be clinically unimportant, due to its small magnitude."
For years melatonin, a hormone that is secreted by the pineal gland has been touted as the key to the body's inner clock, has been promoted as a natural non-prescription remedy for sleep disorders, especially jet lag.
The authors analyzed data from studies of melatonin for management of secondary sleep disorders and sleep problems associated with sleep restriction.
Among the findings:
* Six trials of 97 participants with secondary sleep disorders showed no evidence that melatonin had an effect on sleep- onset latency.
* Nine trials that investigated melatonin in 427 people with sleep restriction (shift work or jet lag) showed no evidence that melatonin had an effect on sleep latency.
* 17 trials that investigated the short term use of melatonin in 651 participants found no evidence of adverse effects.
The authors noted that other reviews have credited melatonin with eliminating daytime fatigue associated with jet lag, an aspect of jet lag that Dr. Buscemi and colleagues did not investigate.
Finally, the authors limited the analysis to studies of short-term use of melatonin, thus these results may not be applicable to safety with long term use.
Primary source: BMJ
Source reference:
Buscemi N et al "Efficacy and safety of exogenous melatonin for secondary sleep disorders and sleep disorders accompanying sleep restriction: meta-analysis." BMJ Online First doi10.1136/bmj387631.532766.F6
HOW many of you wasted money on Melatonin and then told people you felt the "effects" that made you sleep better?
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
February 10, 2006
MedPage Today Action Points
* Explain to patients who ask that melatonin appears to be safe for short term use, but it is unlikely to improve a sleep disorder associated with medical conditions or a sleep disorder resulting from restricted sleep such as jet lag or work shifts.
Review
EDMONTON, Alberta, Feb. 10 - A Canadian group has issued a wake up alert on melatonin, the circadian-rhythm hormone that has been touted as the cure-all for jet leg. It doesn't work.
There is no evidence that exogenous melatonin, the hormone that regulates the body's inner clock , is effective for sleep disorders associated with shift work or jet lag, Nina Buscemi, Ph.D., of the University of Alberta and colleagues reported today in BMJ.
Put another way, melatonin cannot guarantee a good night's sleep to jet-lagged travelers or weary shift workers, said the investigators on the basis of a meta-analysis of 32 randomized controlled trials.
On the other hand, the analysis confirmed that short-term use of exogenous melatonin is safe.
For people with secondary sleep disorders, melatonin was associated with a slight increase in sleep duration (10 minutes) and this effect was statistically significant, but the authors said that based on advice from clinical sleep experts they "considered this effect to be clinically unimportant, due to its small magnitude."
For years melatonin, a hormone that is secreted by the pineal gland has been touted as the key to the body's inner clock, has been promoted as a natural non-prescription remedy for sleep disorders, especially jet lag.
The authors analyzed data from studies of melatonin for management of secondary sleep disorders and sleep problems associated with sleep restriction.
Among the findings:
* Six trials of 97 participants with secondary sleep disorders showed no evidence that melatonin had an effect on sleep- onset latency.
* Nine trials that investigated melatonin in 427 people with sleep restriction (shift work or jet lag) showed no evidence that melatonin had an effect on sleep latency.
* 17 trials that investigated the short term use of melatonin in 651 participants found no evidence of adverse effects.
The authors noted that other reviews have credited melatonin with eliminating daytime fatigue associated with jet lag, an aspect of jet lag that Dr. Buscemi and colleagues did not investigate.
Finally, the authors limited the analysis to studies of short-term use of melatonin, thus these results may not be applicable to safety with long term use.
Primary source: BMJ
Source reference:
Buscemi N et al "Efficacy and safety of exogenous melatonin for secondary sleep disorders and sleep disorders accompanying sleep restriction: meta-analysis." BMJ Online First doi10.1136/bmj387631.532766.F6
HOW many of you wasted money on Melatonin and then told people you felt the "effects" that made you sleep better?
