Aim: The association between types of fats/oils and healthy ageing is not fully clarified. The aim of this work was to evaluate the association between exclusive olive oil consumption and healthy ageing of the Greek population. Methods: 1128 individuals from ATTICA study and 2300 individuals from MEDIS study, residents of Greece and >50 years of age, were enrolled. Dietary habits were assessed through food frequency questionnaires. Participants were divided into three groups: a)no culinary use of olive oil, b)combined consumption of olive oil and other fats/oils, and c)exclusive use of olive oil. Clinical and lifestyle characteristics were also evaluated. Finally, healthy ageing was evaluated using a validated index composed of 10 health-related social-, lifestyle- and clinical characteristics. Results: Exclusive olive oil consumers were more likely to be older (p<0.001), physically active (p<0.001), have higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet (p<0.001) and they were less likely to have hypertension (p=0.001) compared to the other consumption groups. Type of oil consumption was correlated with age (r= 0.15, p<0.001), therefore a stratified analysis based on the median value of participants’ age was applied. For individuals older than 70 years, there was a positive relationship between exclusive olive oil consumption (vs. no olive oil consumption) and beneficial healthy ageing levels (b±SE: 0.38±0.15, p=0.01); while, no significant association was observed for individuals aged younger than 70 years old (p=0.51). Conclusions: The exclusive olive oil consumption as a form of fat can be the ideal nutritional choice for ensuring quality of life and good health for older people.

02 - TYPES OF FATS/OILS AND THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH HEALTHY AGEING: A COMBINED ANALYSIS OF THE ATTICA AND MEDIS EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES