Three months of melatonin treatment reduces insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes-A randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial
Open accessAbstract
The use of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin is rapidly increasing as an assumed safe sleep aid. During the last decade, accumulating observations suggest that melatonin affects glucose homeostasis, but the precise role remains to be defined. We investigated the metabolic effects of long-term melatonin treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes including determinations of insulin sensitivity and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. We used a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover design. Seventeen male participants with type 2 diabetes completed (1) 3 months of daily melatonin treatment (10 mg) 1 h before bedtime (M) and (2) 3 months of placebo treatment 1 h before bedtime (P). At the end of each treatment period, insulin secretion was assessed by an intravenous glucose tolerance test (0.3 g/kg) (IVGTT) and insulin sensitivity was assessed by a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (insulin infusion rate 1.5 mU/kg/min) (primary endpoints). Insulin sensitivity decreased after melatonin (3.6 [2.9-4.4] vs. 4.1 [3.2-5.2] mg/(kg × min), p = .016). During the IVGTT, the second-phase insulin response was increased after melatonin (p = .03). In conclusion, melatonin treatment of male patients with type 2 diabetes for 3 months decreased insulin sensitivity by 12%. Clinical use of melatonin treatment in dosages of 10 mg should be reserved for conditions where the benefits will outweigh the potential negative impact on insulin sensitivity.
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10 mg melatonin for three months reduced insulin sensitivity by 12% in male diabetics.
“A recent, relatively small, placebo-controlled study in male diabetics showed reduced insulin sensitivity by 12% after 10 mg of melatonin for three months [126].”
From Is Melatonin the “Next Vitamin D”?: A Review of Emerging Science, Clinical Uses, Safety, and Dietary Supplements (2022) · cites this paper as [126]
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Minich, D. M., Henning, M., Darley, C., Fahoum, M., Schuler, C. B., & Frame, J. (2022) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu14193934 · Cited by 176 · see citing works
“A recent, relatively small, placebo-controlled study in male diabetics showed reduced insulin sensitivity by 12% after 10 mg of melatonin for three months [127].”
Background
- Authors
- Lauritzen, E. S., Kampmann, U., Pedersen, M. G. B., Christensen, L., Jessen, N., Møller, N., & Støy, J.
- Affiliations
- Aarhus University (DK)
- Aarhus University Hospital (DK)
- Corresponding author
- Lauritzen, Esben S.
- Venue
- Journal of Pineal Research
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2022-06-09
- Volume
- 73
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- e12809-e12809
- ISSN
- 0742-3098 (ISSN-L)
- 1600-079X
- PMC
- PMC9540532
- OpenAlex
- W4281732126
- Cited by
- 29
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3
- FWCI
- 2.63
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Pineal Research (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- A.P. Møller og Hustru Chastine Mc-Kinney Møllers Fond til almene Formaal (18-L-0156)
- Riisfort Fonden
- Novo Nordisk Fonden (NNF17SA0031230-1)
- Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes Treatment and Management
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Pancreatic function and diabetes
- Keywords
- melatonin, type 2 diabetes, insulin sensitivity, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, second-phase insulin response, glucose homeostasis, sleep aids, hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, intravenous glucose tolerance test
- MeSH terms
- Blood Glucose, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Double-Blind Method, Glucose, Humans, Insulin, Insulin Resistance, Male, Melatonin, Cross-Over Studies
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