NEW ORLEANS — Providing healthy, medically tailored meals or boxes of fresh produce along with nutrition counseling improved quality of life for people with heart failure, according to a preliminary late-breaking science presentation today at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2025. The study, involving 150 adults recently discharged from the hospital for acute heart failure, compared three groups: those receiving medically tailored meals and dietary counseling, those receiving fresh produce boxes and dietary counseling, and those receiving only dietary counseling without food delivery.
“People with heart failure can often experience their condition worsening if they are not eating the right kind of food after they go home from the hospital,” said lead study author Ambarish Pandey, M.D., M.S., FAHA, an associate professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “People need nutritious meals that can provide them with the right nutrients for optimal health, including the appropriate calorie intake, the right amount of protein and limited sodium, sugar and fat.”
Participants in both food delivery groups reported a higher quality of life compared to those who received only dietary guidance, based on the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire. Those in the conditional delivery subgroups — who received food only if they picked up medications and attended follow-up appointments — reported even higher quality of life than those in the unconditional delivery subgroups, who received food regardless of medication pickup or clinic attendance. Interestingly, participants who received fresh produce boxes and prepared their own meals reported greater satisfaction than those who received prepared meals.
However, the study found no significant differences in hospital readmissions or emergency department visits for heart failure between the groups. Over the 90-day study, there were 32 total readmissions or ED visits, with 18% of participants experiencing at least one. “These findings indicate the potential for healthy foods to affect outcomes and disease progression for people with chronic conditions like heart failure,” Pandey said. “I think healthy food can be as powerful as medications for people with chronic conditions like heart failure.”
Access to healthy food is a known social determinant of cardiovascular health. The American Heart Association’s 2025 Scientific Statement, “Food Is Medicine” Randomized Controlled Trials for Noncommunicable Disease in U.S., highlighted that such programs show great potential in improving diet quality and food security. The study was funded by the American Heart Association’s Health Care by Food™ initiative.
Study limitations include its small size and short follow-up period. Larger trials with 1,200–1,500 participants are planned to assess whether food programs can lower hospitalizations or improve survival. The findings are considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
