Traditional food program reduces heart failure hospital visits in Navajo Nation
In a randomized clinical trial, medically tailored meals rooted in traditional Diné foods are linked to fewer hospitalizations and emergency visits, improved quality of life, and reduced food insecurity among heart failure patients.
2 min. read
A culturally tailored meal program rooted in traditional Diné foods has significantly reduced hospitalizations and emergency department visits among heart failure patients in rural Navajo Nation, according to a new randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Internal Medicine. The study, known as MUTTON-HF (Medically Utilized Tailored Traditional foods to Optimize Nutrition in Heart Failure), includes 206 adults receiving care at two Indian Health Service sites who were randomized to receive usual care or eight weeks of medically tailored meals incorporating traditional Diné (Navajo) ingredients and recipes.
“This study shows the power of centering communities and leveraging their assets to advance holistic health and well-being,” says Lauren Eberly, an assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine, and the lead author of the study. “By integrating traditional Indigenous foods with evidence-based nutrition for heart failure, we were able to significantly improve outcomes in a population that has long faced structural barriers to cardiovascular health.”
Researchers have found that within 90 days, 40.6% of patients receiving the tailored meals experienced a hospitalization or emergency room visit, compared to 57.0% in the usual care group—a statistically significant reduction. Hospitalizations alone were cut by more than half, and heart failure–specific hospitalizations were markedly lower.
The findings underscore the potential of “Food is Medicine” interventions to address health inequities. “This is a powerful example of how health systems can partner with communities to co-create solutions that are both effective and sustainable,” Eberly says. “Programs like this can help reshape how we think about chronic disease management.”
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