Melatonin elevates HDL in peri- and postmenopausal women

Melatonin elevates HDL in peri- and postmenopausal women

Source: Journal of Pineal Research 2008; Advance online publication

Investigating the effects of melatonin on lipid metabolism in peri- and postmenopausal women.

MedWire News: Melatonin has shown promise for improving lipid metabolism and preventing cardiovascular disease in a study of peri- and postmenopausal women.

"menopause.php'>Menopause is associated with characteristic changes in lipid profile," note Hiroshi Tamura (Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan) and colleagues.

"Serum concentrations of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides increase significantly and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol decreases."

The researchers investigated the effects of melatonin on lipid metabolism in 46 Japanese women aged an average of 44 years.

They found that night-time serum melatonin levels negatively correlated with serum total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels, and there was a weak positive correlation between melatonin levels and HDL cholesterol levels.

Moreover, in 10 women who had taken 1 mg/day of melatonin for a month, HDL-cholesterol levels increased significantly, from 51.3 mg/dl before treatment to 66.1 mg/dl afterwards, without influencing total cholesterol levels.

"Melatonin may influence cholesterol metabolism by working through the augmentation of endogenous cholesterol clearance mechanisms," the researchers suggest.

They conclude: "Melatonin administration may become a new medical application for the improvement of lipid metabolism and prevention of cardiovascular disease in peri- and postmenopausal women."