A widely trusted “natural” sleep aid that millions of Americans take nightly may be quietly putting their hearts at deadly risk, according to shocking new research that challenges decades of assumptions about supplement safety.
Story Highlights
- Long-term melatonin users face 90% higher risk of heart failure over five years
- Study reveals nearly double the mortality rate among chronic melatonin users
- Supplement industry pushes back, claiming findings are “preliminary” despite alarming data
- FDA’s hands-off approach to supplement regulation leaves millions vulnerable
Alarming Heart Risks Emerge from Major Study
Research presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2025 delivers devastating news for chronic melatonin users. Lead researcher Ekenedilichukwu Nnadi analyzed electronic health records and discovered individuals using melatonin for 12 months or more faced approximately 90% higher chances of developing heart failure over five years. The study’s secondary findings prove even more troubling, showing melatonin users were 3.5 times more likely to require hospitalization for heart failure and twice as likely to die from any cause during the same period.
Regulatory Failure Exposes Public to Unknown Dangers
The melatonin crisis highlights a fundamental flaw in America’s supplement regulation system. Unlike prescription medications, melatonin operates under the FDA’s loosely regulated dietary supplement category, requiring no long-term safety studies before reaching store shelves. This regulatory gap has allowed millions of Americans to consume what they believed was harmless while potentially damaging their cardiovascular systems. The supplement industry’s classification as “natural” products has created a false sense of security that may have cost lives.
Marie-Pierre St-Onge, chair of the American Heart Association’s sleep health statement writing group, expressed genuine alarm at the findings. She noted that melatonin supplements are “widely thought of as a safe and ‘natural’ option,” making the “consistent and significant increases in serious health outcomes” particularly striking. Her commentary underscores how deeply entrenched misconceptions about supplement safety have become in American healthcare culture.
Industry Damage Control Fails to Address Core Safety Issues
The Council for Responsible Nutrition immediately launched damage control efforts, dismissing the study as “preliminary” and “based on observational data.” Their response perfectly exemplifies the supplement industry’s standard playbook: minimize alarming findings while calling for more research they have no intention of funding. This defensive posture ignores the study’s robust methodology and the magnitude of risk increases discovered across multiple health outcomes.
The supplement industry’s resistance to acknowledging these findings reveals their prioritization of profits over public safety. Rather than encouraging immediate safety reviews or recommending usage limitations, industry representatives focus on protecting market share. This approach mirrors Big Pharma tactics that conservatives rightfully criticized during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet it receives little scrutiny when applied to the largely unregulated supplement market.
Trump Administration Opportunity for Real Reform
President Trump’s administration now faces a critical opportunity to address supplement industry overreach and protect American families from potentially dangerous products. The melatonin findings demonstrate how regulatory gaps allow companies to market unproven substances to vulnerable populations seeking natural health solutions. Conservative Americans who value personal responsibility and informed choice deserve accurate information about the products they consume, not industry-friendly marketing disguised as health advice.
Melatonin may cause heart failure, according to new preliminary study https://t.co/6jSRY3qqDp
— USA TODAY Health (@USATODAYhealth) November 6, 2025
The current regulatory framework essentially treats supplements like food products while allowing health claims typically reserved for proven medications. This creates a perfect storm where consumers receive neither the safety protections of pharmaceutical regulation nor the honest marketing of food products. Trump’s pro-American, anti-establishment approach could revolutionize supplement oversight by demanding transparency and accountability from an industry that has operated in regulatory shadows for decades.
Sources:
Long-term use of melatonin supplements linked to higher risk of heart failure and death
American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2025 Study Abstract
CRN Response to Melatonin Study
