Community-Based Non-Pharmacological Intervention for Metabolic Syndrome in Chile: A Comparative Reanalysis of an Integrated Exercise and Health Education Program

Metabolic syndrome is a major public health concern, yet evidence from structured community-based interventions in Latin America remains limited. This study conducted a comparative reanalysis of an 18-week program implemented in Talca, Chile, that combined supervised aerobic exercise, health education, and clinical monitoring. The analysis included archived data from 80 adults with metabolic syndrome who had originally been randomly allocated using SPSS to an intervention group (n=33) or a usual-care comparison group (n=47). Anthropometric, biochemical, cardiovascular, body-composition, functional-capacity, and estimated cardiorespiratory-fitness outcomes were assessed at baseline and after 18 weeks. At the post-intervention assessment, the intervention group showed greater Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) distance, higher 6MWT-based estimates of cardiorespiratory fitness, lower waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, triglycerides, body weight, body fat percentage, and fat mass, and higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and muscle mass percentage than the comparison group. Within the intervention group, body weight, body fat percentage, and fat mass decreased, whereas muscle mass and 6MWT distance increased. These findings indicate that participation in the integrated program was associated with favorable cardiometabolic, body-composition, and functional outcomes. The results support further prospective evaluation of this community-based model within primary healthcare and public health settings.