Intervention with Exogenous Melatonin Has No Adverse Effects on Cardiometabolic Parameters of Overweight Night Workers without Cardiometabolic Abnormalities
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial
Abstract: Night workers are chronically exposed to circadian disruption and melatonin suppression, conditions associated with an increased risk of cardiometabolic disorders. To determine whether exogenous melatonin administration impacts cardiometabolic parameters (glucose, glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c], insulin, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein [HDL], low-density lipoprotein [LDL], very low-density lipoprotein [VLDL], triglycerides, heart rates, and mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure) in overweight night workers without cardiometabolic abnormalities. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial was conducted. Participants (n = 27) took 3 mg of fast-release melatonin or placebo orally for 3 months, 1 hour before bedtime, only on days off when they had nocturnal sleep, on an intermittent basis (every other day). Generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were used to analyze the cardiometabolic parameters. Systolic blood pressure showed a significant effect of time (p = 0.01). Bonferroni-adjusted post-hoc comparisons showed higher values after placebo than at baseline (mean difference: 5.82 mmHg; 95%CI: 2.02–9.62; adjusted p = 0.01), whereas the difference between melatonin and placebo was not statistically significant (adjusted p = 1.00). No statistically significant effects of time were detected for the other cardiometabolic parameters. Melatonin was not associated with significant changes in cardiometabolic parameters compared with placebo in overweight night workers.
Source: Sleep Science
Language: English
Subfield: Endocrine and Autonomic Systems
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7225408776