Effects of Melatonin on Diabetic Neuropathy and Retinopathy.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to review the therapeutic efficacy of melatonin in treating diabetes-induced neural complications, focusing on its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Results Summary
Studies suggest melatonin has potential as an adjuvant treatment for hypoglycemic agents in managing diabetes-related neural complications, but variability in dosing, treatment duration, and timing hinders definitive conclusions.
Population
Patients with diabetes mellitus experiencing neural complications (nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy).
Effective Dosage
Not specified (wide range reported).
Duration
Not specified (wide range reported).
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
melatonin (MEL) | neutral | DM-induced neural complications | - | - | therapeutic potential | #1 |
melatonin (MEL) | decrease | inflammation | - | - | anti-inflammatory agent | #2 |
melatonin (MEL) | decrease | redox imbalance | - | - | powerful antioxidant | #3 |
melatonin (MEL) | neutral | neural complications of DM | - | - | adjuvant treatment | #4 |
Diabetes mellitus (DM) leads to complications, the majority of which are nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy. Redox imbalance and inflammation are important components of the pathophysiology of these complications. Many studies have been conducted to find a specific treatment for these neural complications, and some of them have investigated the therapeutic potential of melatonin (MEL), an anti-inflammatory agent and powerful antioxidant. In the present article, we review studies published over the past 21 years on the therapeutic efficacy of MEL in the treatment of DM-induced neural complications. Reports suggest that there is a real prospect of using MEL as an adjuvant treatment for hypoglycemic agents. However, analysis shows that there is a wide range of approaches regarding the doses used, duration of treatment, and treatment times in relation to the temporal course of DM. This wide range hinders an objective analysis of advances and prospective vision of the paths to be followed for the unequivocal establishment of parameters to be used in an eventual therapeutic validation of MEL in neural complications of DM.