An Indigenous Food Is Medicine Intervention: The MUTTON-HF Randomized Clinical Trial - Summary - MDSpire
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A Food as Medicine Approach for Indigenous Populations: Results from the MUTTON-HF Randomized Clinical Trial

  • By

  • Lauren A. Eberly

  • Carmen George

  • Sharon Sandman

  • Denee Bex

  • Karianne Jones

  • Asia Yazzie

  • Leah Gray

  • Larissa Morgan

  • Ada Tennison

  • Conor Williams

  • Matt Chandra

  • Rebecca Wickre

  • Bennett Wickre

  • Mackenzie Bolas

  • Remi Welbel

  • Delaney Ignace

  • Benjamin Feliciano

  • Stacy Hammer

  • DezBaa Damon-Mallette

  • Erica Lindsey

  • Paula Mora

  • Aijun Ye

  • Maricruz Merino

  • Enrique F. Schisterman

  • Sonya S. Shin

  • September 1, 2026

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Objective:

To test whether the MUTTON-HF program, a culturally and medically tailored meal delivery initiative, would reduce hospitalizations and emergency department visits among Indigenous patients with heart failure compared to usual care.

Approach:
  • Study Design: A pragmatic, open-label randomized clinical trial lasting 12 weeks conducted at two Indian Health Service sites.
  • Intervention: Participants received 14 culturally and medically tailored meals each week for 60 days, developed using community-based participatory methods.
  • Control Group: Control participants received usual care, including nutritional recommendations and a cooking class after the outcome assessment.
Key Findings:
  • The study demonstrated feasibility and acceptability of the MUTTON-HF intervention in a pilot study.
  • Participants were recruited from rural Navajo Nation, which has limited access to fresh produce and healthy food options.
  • The intervention meals were designed to meet American Heart Association dietary guidelines.
  • The trial aimed to reduce hospitalizations and emergency department visits among Indigenous patients with heart failure.
Interpretation:

The MUTTON-HF trial aims to address cardiovascular health inequities in Indigenous populations through culturally relevant nutrition interventions.

Limitations:
  • The trial was conducted in a specific geographic area, which may limit generalizability.
  • Participants could decline surveys or laboratory work, potentially affecting data completeness.
Conclusion:

The MUTTON-HF trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of culturally tailored nutrition interventions in reducing hospitalizations and emergency department visits for heart failure in Indigenous populations.

Sources:

Original Source(s)

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

  • by Lauren A. Eberly, Carmen George, Sharon Sandman, Denee Bex, Karianne Jones, Asia Yazzie, Leah Gray, Larissa Morgan, Ada Tennison, Conor Williams, Matt Chandra, Rebecca Wickre, Bennett Wickre, Mackenzie Bolas, Remi Welbel, Delaney Ignace, Benjamin Feliciano, Stacy Hammer, DezBaa Damon-Mallette, Erica Lindsey, Paula Mora, Aijun Ye, Maricruz Merino, Enrique F. Schisterman, Sonya S. Shin

  • September 1, 2026

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