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Effects of exogenous melatonin supplementation on health outcomes: An umbrella review of meta-analyses based on randomized controlled trials.

Pharmacological research
February 1, 2022
Soojin Lim et al. (10 authors)
Journal ArticleMeta-AnalysisSystematic ReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers were attempting to evaluate and summarize the effects of melatonin treatments in clinical settings for various health outcomes, not Inositol.

Results Summary

The study found robust evidence for melatonin's effectiveness in improving sleep-related problems, cancer survival, surgical patient outcomes, and reproductive outcomes in women under artificial reproductive technologies. No clear evidence was found for sleep efficiency or live birth rates.

Population

Patients with sleep disorders, surgical patients, cancer patients, and pregnant women under artificial reproductive technologies.

Effective Dosage

Not mentioned

Duration

Not mentioned

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (6)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
melatonin treatments
decrease
sleep onset latency
Patients with sleep disorder
SMD 0.33, 95% CI: 0.10 - 0.56, P < 0.01
significantly improved
#1
melatonin treatments
no change
sleep efficiency
Patients with sleep disorder
1.10, 95% CI: -0.26 to 2.45
no clear evidence was shown
#2
melatonin treatments
increase
first analgesic requirement time
surgical patients
SMD 5.81, 95% CI: 2.57-9.05, P < 0.001
distinctly improved
#3
melatonin treatments
increase
top-quality embryos
Female patients under artificial reproductive technologies
SMD 0.53, 95% CI: 0.27 - 0.79, P < 0.001
significant increase
#4
melatonin treatments
no change
live birth rate
Female patients under artificial reproductive technologies
SMD 1.20, 95% CI: 0.83 - 1.72
no statistically clear evidence was found
#5
melatonin treatments
increase
Survival at one year
cancer patients
RR 1.90, 95% CI: 1.28 - 2.83, P < 0.005
significantly increased
#6
Abstract

Various melatonin supplementations have been developed to improve health outcomes in various clinical conditions. Thus, we sought to evaluate and summarize the effect of melatonin treatments in clinical settings for health outcomes. We searched PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library from inception to 4 February 2021. We included meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials investigating the melatonin intervention for any health outcome. Based on the different effect sizes of each meta-analysis, we calculated random models' standardized mean differences or risk ratios. We observed robust evidence supported by statistical significance with non-considerable heterogeneity between studies for sleep-related problems, cancer, surgical patients, and pregnant women. Patients with sleep disorder, sleep onset latency (SMD 0.33, 95% CI: 0.10 - 0.56, P < 0.01) were significantly improved whereas no clear evidence was shown with sleep efficiency (1.10, 95% CI: -0.26 to 2.45). The first analgesic requirement time (SMD 5.81, 95% CI: 2.57-9.05, P < 0.001) of surgical patients was distinctly improved. Female patients under artificial reproductive technologies had significant increase in the top-quality embryos (SMD 0.53, 95% CI: 0.27 - 0.79, P < 0.001), but no statistically clear evidence was found in the live birth rate (SMD 1.20, 95% CI: 0.83 - 1.72). Survival at one year (RR 1.90, 95% CI: 1.28 - 2.83, P < 0.005) significantly increased with cancer patients. Research on melatonin interventions to treat clinical symptoms and sleep problems among diverse health conditions was identified and provided considerable evidence. Future well-designed randomized clinical trials of high quality and subgroup quantitative analyses are essential.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
HumansMelatoninMental DisordersMetabolic DiseasesPain, PostoperativeRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicSleep Wake Disorders
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Citation Metrics
Total Citations15
Citations/Year5.0
Relative Citation Ratio2.33
NIH Percentile78.9%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
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