Cutting back on ultra-processed foods in people with heart failure

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for adults with heart failure (NYHA Class II-III) who can track their food with the Cronometer app and cook at home on their own. It tests a diet that cuts ultra-processed foods.

Age

18 years or older

Sex

All sexes can join.

Disease stage

Heart failure, NYHA Class II-III

Main reasons for not taking part

• Past heart transplant or LVAD implant
• Unable or unwilling to follow dietary coaching to cut ultra-processed foods
• eGFR below 30 ml/kg/1.73m2

The registry criteria, word for word

What the trial wants to find out

Emerging evidence links ultra processed foods (UPFs) to adverse cardiovascular outcomes. UPFs are often high in sodium, unhealthy fats and added sugars, while being low in essential nutrients and fiber. UPFs contribute to systemic inflammation, fluid retention, and metabolic dysfunction-key drivers of HF and kidney disease progression. Traditional dietary counseling often lacks specificity around food processing levels. Furthermore, the majority of nutrition studies relied on extensive self-reported dietary recall food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) that are subjective, often labor intensive, and difficult to implement practically in the clinical setting. As such, researchers have developed metabolite scores from blood and urine samples to help quantify UPF consumption, which has the promise to better guide dietary counseling and track process. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and physiological impact of a structured UPF-reduction dietary intervention in patients with HF, leveraging both digital dietary tools (Cronometer) and biomarker assessments.

Treatments tested

• Limiting Ultraprocessed Food (UPF) in Diet