Feasibility of an Indigenous Food Is Medicine Program for Patients With Heart Failure in Rural Navajo Nation: The MUTTON-HF Nonrandomized Clinical Trial

Top Things to Know

Integrating traditional foods into MTMs can strengthen adherence, improve patient experience, and enhance health outcomes, particularly in communities with strong food–culture ties.

Treating food as a clinical input can reduce structural barriers to healthy eating for patients with chronic disease.

Embedding traditional foods into clinical nutrition programs can support not only physical health but also emotional, cultural, and community well‑being.

Summary of Conclusion/Findings

The MUTTON‑HF pilot trial evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of a 4‑week medically tailored meal (MTM) program incorporating traditional Diné foods for Navajo patients with heart failure. The intervention proved highly feasible, with 90% of weekly meal boxes successfully received by patients and strong acceptability reflected in a mean AIM score of 16.9/20 and a program rating of 8.6/10. Food security improved markedly during the intervention, with food-secure households increasing from 40% pre‑intervention to 85% post‑intervention. Patients also experienced significant gains in heart‑failure–related quality‑of‑life domains (including large improvements in physical limitation and social limitation scores) and individuals with obesity saw a mean weight loss of 2.3 kg. Cultural connectedness increased, particularly in the “Traditions” subscale, underscoring the value of culturally grounded nutrition programs. Overall, the results demonstrate that a Native‑sourced, culturally tailored MTM model is both viable and beneficial, laying groundwork for a larger randomized clinical trial.