Melatonin helps improve pulmonary rehabilitation outcomes in COPD

For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are undergoing pulmonary rehabilitation, melatonin supplementation leads to improvements in functional capacity, health status, and quality of life, as shown in a study.

The study included 39 COPD patients who were referred to a supervised pulmonary rehabilitation program. These patients were randomly assigned to receive either melatonin supplement at 3 mg per day (n=18) or placebo (n=21).

The primary outcomes of exercise capacity, health status, and quality of life were assessed using a 6-min walk test (6MWT), COPD assessment test, and Airways Questionnaire 20.

Demographic, anthropometric, and clinical characteristics at baseline were similar in the melatonin and placebo groups. However, at the end of pulmonary rehabilitation, the participants in the melatonin group showed a significant improvement in the distance covered in the 6MWT (71 vs 25 m; p<0.01), health status (−11 vs −3; p<0.01), and quality of life (−6.9 vs −1.9; p<0.01) compared with those in the placebo group.

The main product of the pineal gland, melatonin plays a role in muscle tissue repair and regeneration, in addition to several other important physiologic functions. In COPD, supplementation with melatonin has been shown to improve lung oxidative stress and sleep quality. The findings of the current study add to the existing evidence on the benefits of melatonin in COPD.

Researchers believe that the present data may have significant implications for the management of COPD.