CLEVELAND, Ohio — Long-term use of melatonin supplements, often taken to help with sleep problems, may come with unexpected heart risks, according to new preliminary research .

The study found that adults with chronic insomnia who used melatonin for a year or longer had a significantly higher risk of being diagnosed with heart failure, being hospitalized for it, or dying from any cause, compared with those who did not take melatonin.

“Melatonin supplements may not be as harmless as commonly assumed,” lead author Ekenedilichukwu Nnadi, chief resident in internal medicine at SUNY Downstate/Kings County Primary Care in Brooklyn, New York said in a statement. “If our study is confirmed, this could affect how doctors counsel patients about sleep aids.”

Researchers analyzed data from more t

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