New Study Shows Medically Tailored Meals Reduce Hospital Returns in Heart Failure Cases - Video

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 medically tailored meals per week over a four-week period. The research team enrolled 46 patients discharged from the hospital with heart failure 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.

The study revealed that patients receiving at least seven medically tailored meals 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 medically tailored meals and 12.5 percent for those receiving seven medically tailored meals.

“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,” said 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. “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.”

The researchers concluded that the provision of at least seven medically tailored meals 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 heart failure and malnutrition risk.

Reference: Compher, C., Henstenburg, J.A., Aloupis, M. et al. The nutritional impact of 7 versus 21 home-delivered medically tailored meals in patients with heart failure and malnutrition risk: a random order crossover feeding trial (MEDIMEALS). BMC Nutr 11, 56 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-025-01036-y