In aging populations, the increasing prevalence of metabolic syndrome and the resulting elevated risk of developing non-communicable diseases is a major challenge for worldwide health care. The elderly population-based Hamburg City Health Study (HCHS) allows investigating the association in the relevant age group 45-74 years. For 3513 of 10,000 participants, self-reported information on dietary patterns (DASH, MEDAS), chronotype, lifestyle, and data on metabolic syndrome parameters was available. Overall, having a "low" DASH score was a statistically significant risk factor (OR 1.23; 95% CI 1.01-1.48). Only for "late" chronotype, a slightly elevated OR (1.06) was found, but no statistically significant effect on the outcome of metabolic syndrome. Still, considering chronotype vastly improved the model. However, a trend of an increasing predicted probability from early to late chronotype was found for participants with low adherence to the DASH diet. Future research should focus on options for prevention in persons with late chronotype, so they can be supported better in adherence to, e.g., DASH diet to lower their risk.
Keywords: DASH; chronotype; cohort; diet; elderly; metabolic syndrome.