Alves, Sara Elisa BrásMonteiro, António M.Fernandes, AdíliaFernandes, HélderVaz, Josiana A.Pereira, Ana Maria Geraldes RodriguesMendes, Eugénia2026-03-112026-03-112026Alves, Sara Elisa Brás; Mendes, Eugénia; Monteiro, Miguel A. ; Fernandes, Adília, fernandes, Hélder; Vaz, Josiana A.; Pereira, Ana Maria Geraldes Rodrigues (2026). Adherence to the mediterranean diet and the risk of metabolic syndrome: a preliminary study. In Book of Abstracts of the 4th International Congress of Health and Well-being Intervention Innovation, Technology and Research (ICHWBI 2025). ISBN 978-989-759-265-2. p. 45-46978-989-759-265-2http://hdl.handle.net/10198/36027The Mediterranean Diet has been widely recognized for its protective effects against cardiovascular and metabolic diseases (Zazpe et al., 2008). Metabolic syndrome, often defined as the simultaneous occurrence of health-related risk factors, is a growing concern in ageing populations (Swarup et al., 2024). Understanding how dietary patterns influence metabolic health in older adults is essential for promoting healthy ageing and preventing disease. Objectives: To explore the association between adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and health-related risk factors among older adults. Methods: A crosssectional study was employed. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect participant data and assessed for sociodemographic characteristics, self-reported health status, presence of chronic diseases. Diet adherence was evaluated through the PREDIMED instrument (Zazpe et al., 2008). Metabolic Syndrome was inferred following cut-off values defined by The Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Cleeman, 2001). Blood collection for laboratory tests was performed following WHO guidelines. Informed consent obtained from all participants. Study approved by Ethical Council of Unidade Local de Saúde do Nordeste, Nº41/2024. Results: Ten participants, aged 69 to 81, adhere to the study. Most were female (90%), with 70% reporting at least one chronic disease. Abdominal obesity was noted in 40%, and 10% had elevated triglycerides, while 20% had high blood pressure. Approximately 50% of individuals exhibited a high level of Diet adherence, while 40% demonstrated moderate and low adherence. No participants met the criteria for Metabolic Syndrome. Statistically significant associations were found between adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and the presence of chronic disease (r=0.869, p<0.01), and an inverse correlation with Mediterranean Diet score and the number of Metabolic Syndrome criteria (r=–0.707, p<0.05). Moreover, the Mediterranean diet score was inversely associated with cholesterol (r=–0.740, p<0.05). Conclusions: While no participants fulfilled the criteria for metabolic syndrome, individual risk factors were present in the sample. Higher adherence to the Mediterranean Diet was associated with fewer metabolic risk factors and better overall health indicators. These preliminary findings suggest that dietary patterns may play a key role in the metabolic health of older adults and warrant further investigation with a larger sample.engDietary patternsHealty agingRisk factorsMetabolic syndromeconference object