An Indigenous Food Is Medicine Intervention: The MUTTON-HF Randomized Clinical Trial

Top Things to Know

Culturally tailored MTMs can improve both clinical and social outcomes.

Community-designed delivery systems may be especially important in rural and tribal settings.

The findings strengthen the evidence base linking medically tailored meals to reduced acute healthcare utilization.

Summary of Conclusion/Findings

The MUTTON-HF randomized clinical trial enrolled 206 adults with heart failure living in Navajo Nation and evaluated an eight-week culturally and medically tailored meal intervention centered on traditional Navajo foods. Participants receiving meals experienced significantly fewer hospitalizations or emergency department visits within 90 days than controls (40.6% vs 57.0%; relative risk 0.72). Hospitalizations, including heart-failure hospitalizations, were substantially reduced, while food security, quality-of-life measures, blood pressure, weight, and financial strain improved. Benefits were generally consistent across prespecified subgroups. Although the study was conducted in a specific tribal setting and may not be fully generalizable, it provides some of the strongest randomized evidence to date supporting medically tailored meals.