7000 subjects at high cardiovascular risk were assessed cross-sectionally. A healthy lifestyle pattern (HLP) was determined using a score including: adherence to the Mediterranean diet, moderate alcohol consumption, expending ?200 kcal/day in leisure-time physical activity, and non-smoking.
Inverse linear trends were observed between the HLP-score and body-mass-index (BMI) or waist circumference (p < 0.001). The BMI and waist circumference of participants with a HLP-score = 4 were, respectively, 1.3 kg/m2 (95 % CI: 0.9 to 1.7) and 4.3 cm (3.1 to 5.4) lower than those of subjects with an HLP ?1. The odds ratios of general obesity and abdominal obesity for an HLP score of 4 compared to an HPL score ?1 were 0.50 (0.42 to 0.60) and 0.51 (0.41 to 0.62), respectively
A combination of four healthy lifestyle behaviors was associated with a lower prevalence of general obesity and abdominal obesity in Mediterranean elderly subjects at high cardiovascular risk.