Clinical Application of Melatonin in the Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases: Current Evidence and New Insights into the Cardioprotective and Cardiotherapeutic Properties

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading global cause of mortality and disability, tending to happen in younger individuals in developed countries. Despite improvements in medical treatments, the therapy and long-term prognosis of CVDs such as myocardial ischemia-reperfusion, atherosclerosis, heart failure, cardiac hypertrophy and remodeling, cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and other CVDs threatening human life are not satisfactory enough. Therefore, many researchers are attempting to identify novel potential therapeutic methods for the treatment of CVDs. Melatonin is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent with a wide range of therapeutic properties. Recently, several investigations have been carried out to evaluate its effectiveness and efficiency in CVDs therapy, focusing on mechanistic pathways. Herein, this review aims to summarize current findings of melatonin treatment for CVDs.

Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Cardiac hypertrophy; Cardiac remodeling; Cardiomyopathy; Cardiovascular diseases; Coronary artery disease; Heart failure; Hypertension; Melatonin; Myocardial infarction; Myocardial ischemia–reperfusion.