07/27/26
In a randomized clinical trial, medically tailored meals rooted in traditional Diné foods were linked to fewer hospitalizations and emergency visits, improved quality of life, and reduced food insecurity among heart failure patients in rural Navajo Nation.
A culturally tailored meal program rooted in traditional Diné foods significantly reduced hospitalizations and emergency department visits among heart failure patients in rural Navajo Nation, according to a new randomized clinical trial published today in JAMA Internal Medicine. The study, known as MUTTON-HF (Medically Utilized Tailored Traditional foods to Optimize Nutrition in Heart Failure), included 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.
Read the full article from Penn Medicine
