Abstract 16382: Length of Food Chain is Crucial in Determining the Impact of Mediterranean Diet on Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiovascular Risk

Introduction:Substantial evidence has shown that Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome (MS). However, the development of retail distribution has radically changed food supply worldwide. For instance, in the Mediterranean area, industrial retail favors shipments of groceries from regions that are intensive producers of mass food, generating the long supply chain (LSC) of food; on the other hand, short supply chains (SSCs) typically involve local self-producers promoting local markets. To our knowledge, the role of food retail and distribution in the determination of the risk of developing MS has not been studied hitherto.Hypothesis:We hypothesized that food chain length could affect the risk of developing metabolic alterations such as MS in a population accustomed to Mediterranean diet.Methods:We compared the SSC of food, in which aliments are mainly produced in loco, usually with traditional and low-technology methodologies, to the LSC of food. MS was defined using the latest ?Harmonized Criteria? to diagnose MS [CirculationVol.120 (16), Pg.1640]. The study was registered in the ClincalTrial.govdatabase (NCT03305276).Results:We recruited 407 subjects (average age: 56 years; 59% males), all adhering to Mediterranean diet, living in rural or urbanized areas of Southern Italy. The most important source of food in rural areas is represented by locally grown vegetables and meat of courtyard animals (SSC), whereas in metropolitan areas people mainly eat retail food (LSC). The actual dietary habits were confirmed through a validate questionnaire, designed to distinguish SSC and LSC viaa specific score. No significant differences were observed between SSC and LSC groups in terms of common demographic and metabolic parameters. Intriguingly, we found that being on Mediterranean diet with a SSC significantly (p=0.007) reduced the prevalence of MS compared with LSC, a result that was confirmed after correcting for confounding variables.Conclusions:Taken together, our findings show for the first time that the length of food supply chain is an independent predictor of the risk of MS in a population accustomed to Mediterranean diet, supporting the importance of local food environments in the determination of cardiovascular risk.