New research has suggested melatonin supplementation may significantly reduce both the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and its progression.
The retrospective cohort study, conducted between December 2023 and March 2024, analysed data from TriNetX, a national database of deidentified electronic medical records from United Sates healthcare organisations.1
Researchers examined records of patients aged 50 years and older, focussing on those with no history of AMD and those with existing nonexudative AMD, querying them about melatonin use.
Among 121,523 patients in the melatonin-naive group, melatonin use was associated with a reduced risk of developing AMD. Among 66,253 patients in the nonexudative AMD group, melatonin was associated with a reduced risk of AMD progression to exudative AMD.
The findings were consistent across subsets of individuals aged 60 years or older and 70 years or older.
The study defined melatonin use as having at least four instances of melatonin records occurring at least three months apart.
“The protective influence of melatonin on [retinal pigmented epithelial] cells and its ability to reduce oxidative stress and resulting VEGF overexpression may contribute to its promising role in AMD management,” the study authors wrote.
The researchers concluded that although lifestyle factors may have influenced the association, “these findings provide a rationale for further research on the efficacy of using melatonin as a preventive therapy against AMD”.
Reference
- Jeong H, Shaia JK, Singh RP, et al. Melatonin and risk of age-related macular degeneration. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2024;142(7):648-654. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2024.1822.