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Do plasma melatonin concentrations decline with age?
Abstract
Purpose Numerous reports that secretion of the putative sleep-promoting hormone melatonin declines with age have led to suggestions that melatonin replacement therapy be used to treat sleep problems in older patients. We sought to reassess whether the endogenous circadian rhythm of plasma melatonin concentration changes with age in healthy drug-free adults.Methods We analyzed the amplitude of plasma melatonin profiles during a constant routine in 34 healthy drug-free older subjects (20 women and 14 men, aged 65 to 81 years) and compared them with 98 healthy drug-free young men (aged 18 to 30 years).Results We could detect no significant difference between a healthy and drug-free group of older men and women as compared to one of young men in the endogenous circadian amplitude of the plasma melatonin rhythm, as described by mean 24-hour average melatonin concentration (70 pmol/liter vs 73 pmol/liter, P = 0.97), or the duration (9.3 hours vs 9.1 hours, P = 0.43), mean (162 pmol/liter vs 161 pmol/liter, P = 0.63), or integrated area (85,800 pmol x min/liter vs 86,700 pmol x min/liter, P = 0.66) of the nocturnal peak of plasma melatonin.Conclusion These results do not support the hypothesis that reduction of plasma melatonin concentration is a general characteristic of healthy aging. Should melatonin replacement therapy or melatonin supplementation prove to be clinically useful, we recommend that an assessment of endogenous melatonin be carried out before such treatment is used in older patients.
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“Several studies have reported declines in melatonin levels with ageing, although others find no difference compared with younger people in a healthy population237,238.”
From Rhythms of life: circadian disruption and brain disorders across the lifespan (2019) · cites this paper as [238]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Zeitzer, J. M., Daniels, J. E., Duffy, J. F., Klerman, E. B., Shanahan, T. L., Dijk, D.-J., & Czeisler, C. A.
- Affiliations
- Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
- Corresponding author
- Czeisler, Charles A
- Venue
- The American Journal of Medicine
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1999-11
- Volume
- 107
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 432-436
- ISSN
- 0002-9343 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2086521040
- Cited by
- 239
- References
- 55
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 6.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The American Journal of Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Open Research (University of Surrey) (submittedVersion)
- Surrey Research Insight Open Access (The University of Surrey) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Aging (R01AG006072, R01-AG-06072, P01AG009975, P01 AG-09975)
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH45130, R01MH045130)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Keywords
- plasma melatonin, aging, circadian rhythm, melatonin secretion, melatonin supplementation, healthy older adults
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Circadian Rhythm, Female, Humans, Male, Melatonin, Sleep Wake Disorders
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