ABSTRACT:Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and factors associated with metabolic syndrome in the elderly. Methods: Cross-sectional study, with 133 individuals randomly selected in the Unified Health System in Goiania, Goiás. The following variables were researched: anthropometric (BMI, waist circumference, fat percentage by Dual X-ray absorptiometry), sociodemographic (gender, age, color, income, marital status and years of schooling), lifestyle (physical activity, smoking and risk alcohol consumption) and food intake (risk and protective foods). The metabolic syndrome was assessed according to harmonized criteria proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The combinations were tested by Poisson regression for confounding factors. Results: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 58.65% (95%CI 49.8 -67.1), with 60.5% (95%CI 49.01 -71.18) for females and 55.7% (95%CI 41.33 -69.53) for males. Hypertension was the most prevalent component of the syndrome in both men, with 80.8% (95%CI 64.5 -90.4), and women, with 85.2% (95%CI 75.5 -92.1). After the multivariate analysis, only the excess of weight measured by body mass index (prevalence ratio = 1.66; p < 0.01) remained associated with the metabolic syndrome. Conclusions: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in this sample was high, indicating the need for systematic actions by health workers in the control of risk factors through prevention strategies and comprehensive care to the elderly.