[Randomised controlled trial: the role of diet and exercise in women with metabolic syndrome]

To evaluate a program of nutritional recommendations and exercise in women with metabolic syndrome.

Multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Primary Health Care, Holguin, Cuba.

A cluster sample of 150 obese women with metabolic syndrome without glucose disturbances, were randomly assigned to a control (n=70) or experimental (n=80) group. A total of 62 women in the control group and 60 in the intervention group completed the study (June 2008-July 2009).

Low calorie diets and a program of exercises in the experimental group. Usual care in the control group.

Body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood glucose and lipid profile.

Compared to the control group, after one year, the experimental group had a lower, diastolic blood pressure (78±0.9 vs 91±1.1mm Hg), total cholesterol (4.7±0.1 vs 6.0 ±0.1mmol/L), triglycerides (1.9±0.0 vs 2.9±0.1mmol/L) and LDL cholesterol (2.5±0.0 vs 3.5±0.1mmol/L), and a higher HDL-cholesterol (1.2±0.0 vs 1.1±0.0mmol/L). There were no appreciable changes in weight, body mass index, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure and blood glucose.

We demonstrated the effectiveness of the intervention program on blood pressure and blood lipid profile.