The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between the Mediterranean-style dietary pattern and metabolic syndrome. The Mediterranean-style dietary pattern score (MSDPS) was developed to characterize a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern in the prospective Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort. In this nondiabetic sample, an elevated MSDPS was associated with lower waist circumference (p<0.001), homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (p=0.02), fasting glucose (p=0.03), and triglycerides (p<;0.001) as well as higher HDL cholesterol (p=0.02). Moreover, participants in the highest quintile category of the MSDPS had a lower incidence of metabolic syndrome compared to those in the lowest quintile category (38.5% compared with 30.1%; p=0.01). These data suggest that the adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet may protect against the development of the metabolic syndrome in Americans.
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