Melatonin or ramelteon for the prevention of postoperative delirium in elderly patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

INTRODUCTION

Postoperative delirium (POD)-an acute, fluctuating disturbance in attention and awareness-is common among elderly surgical patients and is associated with morbidity, mortality, prolonged hospitalization, and increased costs. Melatonin has been investigated for POD prevention, but its perioperative effectiveness and safety remain uncertain. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess whether perioperative melatonin or ramelteon reduces POD incidence in elderly surgical patients.

METHODS

This meta-analysis included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of elderly patients (>60 years) undergoing surgery, comparing perioperative melatonin or ramelteon (a melatonin receptor agonist) with placebo or non-pharmacological interventions for the prevention and treatment of POD. Secondary outcomes included sedation, pain, and length of hospital stay. A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases. We utilized a random-effects model with 95% Confidence Intervals. Pooled-effect sizes were measured with Mean Difference (MD) or Standardized Mean Difference (SMD) for continuous outcomes and Risk Ratio (RR) for binary outcomes. Heterogeneity was assessed with I2 statistics. Statistical analyses were performed using R v4.5.0.

RESULTS

Sixteen RCTs (n = 2115; 48.7% intervention) were included; 12 evaluated melatonin and 4 ramelteon. Overall, postoperative delirium occurred in 188/895 patients (21.0%) receiving melatonergic agents and 254/893 patients (28.4%) in control groups, corresponding to a significant reduction in POD (RR 0.72; 95% CI 0.56-0.92; p = 0.009). In melatonin-only trials, delirium incidence was 163/729 (22.4%) versus 230/732 (31.4%) in controls (RR 0.67; 95% CI 0.52-0.88; p = 0.004), whereas ramelteon showed no significant effect (25/166 [15.1%] vs 24/161 [14.9%]; RR 0.98; 95% CI 0.47-2.01; p = 0.948). Trials using melatonin doses ≥5 mg demonstrated a greater reduction in POD, with delirium occurring in 57/314 patients (18.2%) in the melatonin group compared with 113/308 patients (36.7%) in control groups (RR 0.52; 95% CI 0.40-0.68; p < 0.001). No significant differences were found for pain, Ramsay Sedation Score, or length of stay. Heterogeneity was moderate to high for several analyses, and the certainty of evidence for POD was rated low.

CONCLUSION

Perioperative melatonin was associated with reduced POD in elderly surgical patients, with an apparent dose-response at ≥5 mg. Ramelteon did not demonstrate benefit in the available trials. Given heterogeneity and low certainty, findings-especially dose effects-should be interpreted cautiously.