Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics 2 2 2016 02 01 77 77 EN Hamed Kord Varkaneh Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran Somaye Fattahi Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran Sara Mansouri Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran Saragol Eimeri Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran Pooneh Davallou Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran SyedeZahra Sadat Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran 2017 04 01 2017 06 15 Background: Some food patterns and lifestyles have beneficial effects on diminution of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) components. Alternate Mediterranean Diet (aMED) because of its contents may have potential protective impacts against the risk of developing the metabolic syndrome in elderly people. Our aim was to assess the association between aMED and MetS components in Iranian elderly. Method: 226 healthy elderly people (65 men and 161 women) with a mean age of 67.04 years participated in this cross-sectional study in five districts of Tehran, the capital of Iran during the period 20014-20015.  MetS was defined based on the National Chol esterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Dietary intakes were assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) that included 147 items. The Alternate Mediterranean dietary score was calculated by Fung et al. Method. Logistic and linear regression models were used to derive beta estimates and odds ratios (ORs). Results. Subjects in the top tertile of Alternate Mediterranean diet had 56% lower chance of metabolic syndrome compared with subjects in the bottom tertile (OR 0·46; 95% CI 0·23, 0·94; P trend=0.033 ). After adjustment for potential confounders such as age, energy intake, physical activity, marital status, smoking, education, income this association was strengthened (OR 0·34; 95% CI 0·14, 0·82; P trend=0.017).Also  it was observed that people in the highest tertile of the Alternate Mediterranean diet score had 68% lower odds of high triglycerides compared with those in the lowest tertile (OR 0·42; 95% CI 0·20, 0·91; P trend=0.033). Conclusion: Our study showed a higher adherence to the alternate Mediterranean diet reduced the risk of the metabolic syndrome in the elderly subjects.   https://jnsd.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jnsd/article/view/77 https://jnsd.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jnsd/article/download/77/149