A commonly prescribed antibiotic could help reduce the risk of some young people developing schizophrenia, new research from the University of Edinburgh suggests.
The large population-based study, which analyzed data from more than 56,000 young patients, found that doxycycline may reduce the risk of schizophrenia. Researchers found that those who took the common antibiotic had a 30%–35% lower chance of developing schizophrenia later in life.
They hypothesize the effect arises from doxycycline's ability to calm brain inflammation.
As an observational study, rather than a randomized clinical trial, however, their findings cannot prove that doxycycline caused the risk reduction.
The other study making waves this week is about potential drawbacks of melatonin use for sleep regulation. Research from an unpublished study to be presented at the American Heart Association scientific meeting in New Orleans next week claims to have linked melatonin supplements to a 90% increase in the risk of heart failure.
The study, which has not been peer reviewed, saw researchers analyze health records from more than 130,000 adults with insomnia, divided into groups of people who took melatonin supplements for at least one year, and those who had no record of melatonin use.
The risk of developing heart failure was 4.6% for those who took melatonin, while those who never used the supplement had a risk of 2.7%, they found. Heart failure is a chronic condition in which the heart becomes too weak to sufficiently pump blood throughout the body.
The study had several drawbacks, including only counting people with documented melatonin prescriptions, and lacking information about the severity of subjects' insomnia, which can cause other health problems.
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