Key result
Melatonin shows potential atheroprotective and neuroprotective benefits in carotid artery stenosis, pending clinical trial confirmation.
Why the study?
Carotid artery stenosis carries a high risk of ischemic stroke and cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, but direct clinical evidence demonstrating the benefits of melatonin in these patients is lacking.
Does melatonin improve outcomes in patients with atherosclerotic carotid arterial stenosis?
Does melatonin improve outcomes in patients with atherosclerotic carotid arterial stenosis?
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Melatonin shows potential as an adjuvant therapy for atherosclerotic carotid arterial stenosis by reducing endothelial damage and stabilizing plaques, though direct clinical evidence is currently lacking.
Carotid artery stenosis (CAS) is an atherosclerotic disease characterized by a narrowing of the artery lumen and a high risk of ischemic stroke. Risk factors of atherosclerosis, including smoking, hypertension, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, aging, and disrupted circadian rhythm, may potentiate atherosclerosis in the carotid artery and further reduce the arterial lumen. Ischemic stroke due to severe CAS and cerebral ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) injury after the revascularization of CAS also adversely affect clinical outcomes. Melatonin is a pluripotent agent with potent anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and neuroprotective properties. Although there is a shortage of direct clinical evidence demonstrating the benefits of melatonin in CAS patients, previous studies have shown that melatonin may be beneficial for patients with CAS in terms of reducing endothelial damage, stabilizing arterial plaque, mitigating the harm from CAS-related ischemic stroke and cerebral I/R injury, and alleviating the adverse effects of the related risk factors. Additional pre-clinical and clinical are required to confirm this speculation.
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Zhang et al. (2021) conducted a review in Atherosclerotic Carotid Arterial Stenosis. Melatonin was evaluated. Melatonin demonstrates potential atheroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties that may benefit patients with carotid artery stenosis, though high-quality clinical trials are needed to confirm these effects.
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