Heart failure patients benefit from medically tailored meals after discharge

A new study, published in BMC Nutrition, demonstrates that providing medically tailored meals (MTM) to patients with heart failure (HF) and malnutrition risk following hospital discharge significantly improves their nutritional status and keeps hospital readmission rates well below local and national averages.

The study compared the impact of delivering seven versus 21 MTM per week over a four-week period. A research team, led by Penn Nursing's Charlene Compher, PhD, RD, LDN, FASPEN, the Shearer Chair of Healthy Community Practices, Professor of Nutrition Science, and Director of Nutrition programs in the Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, enrolled 46 patients discharged from the hospital with HF and malnutrition risk. The research team conducted telephone surveys at baseline, 30-, and 60-days post-discharge to assess changes in malnutrition risk, adherence to American Heart Association (AHA) dietary guidelines, sarcopenia risk, and 30-day readmissions.

In collaboration with the Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance (MANNA) and the Clinical Nutrition Support Service at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania – the study revealed that patients receiving at least seven MTM per week experienced a significant reduction in malnutrition and sarcopenia risk. Notably, adherence to AHA diet goals improved over time, regardless of whether patients received seven or 21 meals. The 30-day readmission rates were significantly lower than the national average, at nine percent for those receiving 21 MTM and 12.5 percent for those receiving seven MTM.

Our findings suggest that even a modest intervention of seven medically tailored meals per week can have a profound positive impact on the health and recovery of heart failure patients. This intervention not only improves nutritional outcomes and diet adherence but also keeps hospital readmissions low, which translates to better patient care and lower healthcare costs."

Charlene Compher, PhD, RD, LDN, FASPEN, Penn Nursing

The researchers concluded that the provision of at least seven MTM per week in the immediate post-discharge period is a promising strategy to improve malnutrition and sarcopenia risk, enhance diet adherence, and maintain readmission rates below national averages for patients with HF and malnutrition risk.