Heart failure & cardiomyopathies
An Indigenous Food Is Medicine Intervention: The MUTTON-HF Randomized Clinical Trial
Primary result · Proportion of patients with an all-cause hospitalization or emergency department visitResult — go to the resultRelative risk 0.72 95% CI 0.54–0.96Authors' conclusion
In this randomized clinical trial, an Indigenous Food is Medicine intervention reduced the incidence of hospitalization and emergency department visits among patients with heart failure. Community-based interventions that leverage protective assets of Native communities are needed to advance Indigenous health.
Study context
- Population
- Adults with heart failure receiving care at the study sites with a hospitalization or emergency department visit during the last 12 monthsrandomized
- Participants
- 206 adults
- Comparison
- culturally and medically tailored meal program or usual dietary advice
- Primary endpoint
- proportion of patients with an all-cause hospitalization or emergency department visit
- Follow-up
- Within 90 days
Methodological details2 Indian Health Service sites in rural Navajo Nation, 1:1 randomization
- 2 Indian Health Service sites in rural Navajo Nation
- 1:1 randomization
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Proportion of patients with an all-cause hospitalization or emergency department visit
Relative risk
0.72
95% CI 0.54–0.96
P = 0.02
Events by treatment group
Intervention arm vs usual dietary advice
relative risk 0.72 (95% CI 0.54–0.96); P = 0.02
Secondary outcomes
Hospitalizations
Heart failure hospitalizations
Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire score, food security, financial strain, weight, blood pressure
- Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire score and food security measures had significantly greater increases in the intervention arm
- Financial strain, weight, and blood pressure significantly decreased in the intervention arm
Original publication
An Indigenous Food Is Medicine Intervention: The MUTTON-HF Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. Published 1 September 2026. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it