Melatonin, a dietary supplement often used by people with insomnia, could be used to help prevent or treat COVID-19, according to researchers at the Cleveland Clinic.
The hormone, which regulates the sleep-wake cycle, was associated with a reduced probability of nearly 30% of contracting the disease, scientists reported in a study published in the journal PLOS Biology, according to KIRO 7.
The researchers required additional studies on the over-the-counter supplement.
“It’s very important to note that these findings do not suggest that people should start taking melatonin without consulting their doctor,” Feixiong Cheng of the Cleveland Clinic Institute of Genomic Medicine said in a statement. reported WebMD.
“Large-scale observational studies and randomized controlled trials are critical to validate the clinical benefit of melatonin for patients with COVID-19,” he added. “But we are excited about the partnerships proposed in this study and the opportunity to explore them further.”
Cheng and his team used artificial intelligence to examine a COVID-19 record of about 27,000 people in the hospital. They found that people who take melatonin are almost 28% less likely to test positive.
The difference is even more significant among blacks.
“It is important to note that melatonin use is associated with a reduced 52% probability of positive laboratory test results for SARS-CoV-2 in African Americans,” the study said.
“When we got this result, we were very excited,” Cheng told KIRO 7. “If our findings can help patients, that’s our goal and mission, and also at the Cleveland Clinic.”
The study was published last month, but an article published in The Atlantic on the connection between coronavirus and sleep sparked new interest in the research, the media reported.
“I read the article about melatonin and sleep and it said to me,‘ I already take melatonin every day! “Said Ruth Harvey, a Seattle resident at KIRO 7.” I said, “It’s great, maybe I’m doing the right thing to stay healthy.” It’s really encouraging. “
President Trump also received melatonin – in addition to zinc, vitamin D, famotidine and aspirin – while he was hospitalized with COVID-19 in October.
He was treated with experimental polyclonal antibodies, the antiviral drug remdesivir, and the steroid dexamethasone.
When asked if people taking melatonin are less susceptible to the virus because they sleep better or because of the supplement itself, Cheng said researchers still don’t know the “exact mechanism.”
“But more and more data is coming out to support our hypothesis,” he told KIRO 7, adding that studies show that melatonin can also help regulate the immune system.
Other studies have also shown that melatonin reduces chronic and acute inflammation, the station reported.
“Melatonin can also help us improve our human body, what we call tolerance. To help us reduce tissue or organ damage induced by COVID infection, ”Cheng said.
Meanwhile, a study of thousands of patients intubated with COVID-19 conducted at Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center found that when they were exposed to melatonin after being intubated, they had better outcomes, according to KIRO 7.
The researchers recommended an additional study based on these findings.
And at the University of Toronto, researchers found that melatonin can be added to increase the effectiveness of coronavirus vaccines, according to News-Medical.net.
According to The Atlantic, eight clinical trials are underway around the world to see if the results of melatonin are maintained, noting that if the widely available sleep hormone helps people, it would be the cheapest and most easily accessible medication. mortal.