Dr. Elif Inan-Eroglu wins the "Paper of the Year 2022" competition of the British Journal of Nutrition
For her article "Joint association of alcohol consumption and adiposity with alcohol and obesity-related cancer in a population sample of 399,575 UK adults", Dr. Elif Inan-Eroglu from the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE) has won the "Paper of the Year 2022" competition of the British Journal of Nutrition. The young scientist presented the results of her work at this year's summer conference of the Nutrition Society in Liverpool.
The British Journal of Nutrition (BJN) is a leading international peer-reviewed journal that publishes original research and review articles across the spectrum of nutrition science. To acknowledge outstanding publications, the BJN Paper of the Year competition was established. Out of approximately 400 to 500 articles that appear in the BJN each year, the top ten are selected and then reviewed by an independent jury of internationally recognized nutrition scientists*. For 2022, the jury chose the article "Joint association of alcohol consumption and adiposity with alcohol and obesity-related cancer in a population sample of 399,575 UK adults" by Dr. Elif Inan-Eroglu, postdoc in the Department of Molecular Epidemiology at DIfE. The prize is endowed with 1000 British pounds (approximately 1200 euros).
"Winning the British Journal of Nutrition 'Paper of the Year 2022' is a great honor for me. The award recognizes our ongoing research program on the joint effects of alcohol consumption and other lifestyle factors (e.g., obesity) on risk for non-communicable diseases, particularly cancer," says the young scientist. "We hope our work will raise awareness of the potential risks associated with alcohol and obesity and help to reduce the burden of cancer in society."
Dr. Elif Inan-Eroglu collaborated with researchers from the University of Sydney on this publication, where she worked before joining DIfE. She was given the opportunity to present her research findings at this year's Nutrition Society Summer Conference, held in Liverpool from July 3-6, 2023. "The award ceremony was a truly memorable experience. It was immensely rewarding to see our research recognized and celebrated among esteemed colleagues in the nutrition community," Inan-Eroglu sums up. "I am truly humbled and motivated to continue advancing scientific knowledge in this field."
Background information
Content of the winner publication
In the prospective UK Biobank cohort study, Dr. Elif Inan-Eroglu's team investigated the combined relationship between obesity and alcohol consumption with cancer incidence. The study involved nearly 400,000 subjects* from the United Kingdom (UK) aged 40 to 69 years who were free of cancer at baseline. Based on their weekly alcohol consumption, participants were divided into four groups: Non-drinkers, former drinkers, and drinkers within and above the UK guideline limits, which corresponded to less or more than 112 grams of alcohol per week, respectively. The researchers defined obesity by body fat percentage, waist circumference and body mass index.
Out of the 399,575 participants, a total of 61,898 developed cancer over a follow-up period of 12-years – including 17,617 cases with alcohol-related cancers and 20,214 cases with cancers attributable to obesity.
Data analysis showed that participants with the highest body fat percentage, who consumed alcohol within the recommended guidelines, had a 53 percent higher risk of developing alcohol-related cancer compared to participants who never drank alcohol and had the lowest body fat percentage. Participants with the highest body fat percentage who consumed more than the recommended amount of alcohol had an even higher risk of 61 percent.
Irrespective of alcohol consumption, the scientists observed a correlation between larger waist circumference and an increased risk of cancer. Overall, the study demonstrated that excessive obesity can exacerbate the harmful effect of alcohol on cancer risk. To reduce cancer risk, it is therefore crucial to limit alcohol consumption and maintain a healthy body weight.
Wissenschaftlicher Ansprechpartner:
Dr. Elif Inan-Eroglu
Postdoc of the Department of Molecular Epidemiology
phone: +49 33 200 88 – 2435
e-mail: elif.inan-eroglu@dife.de
Originalpublikation:
Inan-Eroglu, E., Huang, B.-H., Sarich, P., Nassar, N., Stamatakis, E.: Joint association of alcohol consumption and adiposity with alcohol- and obesity-related cancer in a population sample of 399,575 UK adults. Br. J. Nutr. 130(3), 503-512 (2023). [Open Access]
-> https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114522003464
Weitere Informationen:
https://vimeo.com/825036559
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