A study published in Circulation: Heart Failure, led by the University of Michigan’s Frankel Cardiovascular Center sought to identify a connection between healthy and effective dietary management and health benefits in patients suffering from heart failure.

Many patients with heart failure tend to have had poor diets prior to their hospitalizations. These meals are typically low in nutritional value and high in sodium. Although the medical establishment stresses the importance of dietary restriction, especially of high-sodium foods, patients seldom heed their advice. 

Researchers behind this study sought to adopt a more proactive approach by delivering personalized, low-sodium meals to these heart failure patients right to their own homes for one month, following their discharges from the hospital. The goals being to prove the importance and benefit of nutrition in managing heart disease and prevent re-hospitalization, which is typical of patients who’ve suffered heart failure.

Delivery of DASH diet meals helped recipients avoid re-hospitalization.

Researchers followed a group of 66 patients over the age of 55 who’d been in the hospital for heart failure. The entirety of the group were issued educational literature about the importance of following a sodium-restricted meal, however, half of those were additionally provided with prepackaged meals which adhered to the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), a reduced-salt diet designed with the unique needs of heart disease and high blood pressure sufferers in mind.

At its core, the DASH diet incorporates abundant amounts of fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts, whole grains and the like, while avoiding sugary sweets and red meats. The prepackaged meals made sure to cap sodium levels off at 1,500 mg/day, at the behest of the American Heart Association. 

The group of delivery recipients were able to select various menu options every week and from these options, were provided with three prepared meals daily, along with beverages and snacks for an entire month. Those who received these meals fared better overall than the group that did not, with fewer hospital re-admissions and shorter stays if they were hospitalized. 

This study provides more mounting evidence in favor of maintaining a specific diet in order to stave off complications from heart disease and subsequent hospital visits. Implementing home delivery of healthy prepackaged meals with special attention paid to portion sizes and ingredients could be a vital step toward maintaining good health amongst patients with heart disease and, perhaps, even other ailments which are known to lead to chronic hospitalization. 

If you or someone you know is trying to put together a heart-healthy diet plan, be sure to visit my website for more information about how I can help you attain optimal health through good nutrition.