A medically tailored meals program delivered over eight months improved diet quality and cardiometabolic health in adults with Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2026. The findings, which are not yet peer-reviewed, suggest that food is medicine interventions may help prevent the progression of chronic disease, especially when introduced earlier rather than only for advanced illness.
The study, funded by the American Heart Association’s Health Care by Food initiative, enrolled 110 adults with an average age of 63; 68% were women, 47% identified as Hispanic, and 43% as Black. Participants were recruited from New York City neighborhoods with high rates of chronic disease and premature death. Half received standard dosing of 10 medically tailored meals per week for eight months. The other half received the same for three months, followed by a gradual reduction of one meal per month, ending with five meals per week in the final month. Both groups also received nutrition counseling, cooking demonstrations, and an education program based on the Association's Life’s Essential 8 framework for heart health.
After eight months, overall diet quality improved in both groups, with a 3-point improvement on a scale measuring adherence to a heart-healthy Mediterranean-style eating pattern. Participants were more than twice as likely to achieve a higher food security status compared to baseline. Blood sugar, measured by HbA1c, fell by about 0.5%, and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure dropped by about 4 mm Hg. These improvements occurred regardless of whether participants received the full meal dose or the tapered dose, indicating that a gradual reduction complemented by education may be as effective and more cost-effective.
The research matters because poor diet is a leading risk factor for cardiometabolic disease, and more than half of U.S. adults have suboptimal diets, according to the American Heart Association's 2025 scientific statement, A Systematic Review of “Food Is Medicine” Randomized Controlled Trials for Noncommunicable Disease in the United States. Additionally, food insecurity affected nearly 14% of U.S. households in 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The combination of poor diet and food insecurity can lead to obesity, a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes.
“Prior studies have not examined how the number of meals provided each week, as part of a food is medicine program, influences health outcomes and what would constitute a cost-effective dose,” said lead author Nour Makarem, Ph.D., FAHA, assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. “This study found that food is medicine programs, when complemented by adequate heart health promotion efforts, may be impactful for prevention and could meaningfully improve health outcomes in adults at high risk for heart disease.” The authors note that larger, multi-site trials are needed to confirm the results, but the findings suggest that expanding eligibility and clinician referral pathways could improve diet quality and cardiometabolic outcomes while alleviating food insecurity. More details are available in the release link and the abstract.
