Melatonin is a hormone secreted by your pineal gland, which is located in the brain. It helps regulate female reproductive hormones and maintains your circadian rhythm. People with coronary heart disease and a high risk for heart attack tend to produce less melatonin. It may also have a beneficial effect on blood pressure.
Coronary Atherosclerosis
Inflammation in your coronary arteries can lead to plaque formation on the vessels walls, which narrows the arteries and reduces blood flow to the heart, causing a heart attack. Melatonin levels may help to predict the likelihood of future adverse events in patients who survived their initial heart attack. According to a study published in 2009 in "Current Vascular Pharmacology," patients who developed heart failure within six months of a heart attack had lower melatonin levels than those patients who did not suffer adverse effects.
Cardiac Ischemia/Reperfusion
Prompt restoration of blood flow to the heart is important to limit the damage done to the heart muscle during a heart attack, but sometimes the restoration of blood flow can actually damage the heart, possibly by free-radical damage. According to the study mentioned earlier, studies on lab animals indicate melatonin may work as an antioxidant to reduce the damage of reperfusion therapy, which supports return of blood flow.
Hypertension
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a risk factor for heart disease, and your circadian rhythm can affect your blood pressure. A study on melatonin and men with high blood pressure published in 2004 in "Hypertension" showed that taking 2.5 mg melatonin an hour before bedtime for three weeks resulted in a significant reduction of blood pressure during the hours of sleep.
Precautions
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, there is no recommended dose for melatonin supplements, and they can interact with antidepressents, antipsychotic medications, blood-thinning medications and blood pressure medications. Melatonin can cause drowsiness if taken during the day and may increase signs of depression. Do not attempt to treat yourself for cardiovascular conditions, and speak to your doctor before taking melatonin supplements.
References
- "Current Vascular Pharmacology"; Clinical Aspects of Melatonin in the Acute Coronary Syndrome; A Dominguez-Rodriguez; July 2009
- "Hypertension"; Daily Nighttime Melatonin Reduces Blood Pressure in Male Patients with Essential Hypertension; F.A. Scheer; February 2004
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Melatonin; December 2009
Member Comments