Sleep hormone melatonin could worsen asthma by bringing forth a state of
bronchoconstriction. A group of scientists led by Kentaro Mizuta at the Tohoku
University Graduate School of Dentistry, Japan, has found in a recent study that
melatonin could aggravate asthma exacerbations by bringing forth a state of
bronchoconstriction through the activation of the melatonin MT2 receptor in human
body. The scientists found that melatonin, often prescribed for patients facing
sleep-related problems, in greater doses worsened asthma symptoms and impaired the
therapeutic effect of bronchodilators, which helps widen the bronchus. Incidentally, the
researchers also pointed out that higher doses of melatonin are regularly prescribed by
physicians to patients facing insomnia, jet lag or cancer.