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Ultra-processed foods, adiposity and risk of head and neck cancer and oesophageal adenocarcinoma in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study : a mediation analysis

Morales-Berstein, Fernanda ; Biessy, Carine ; Viallon, Vivian ; Goncalves-Soares, Ana ; Casagrande, Corinne ; Hémon, Bertrand ; Kliemann, Nathalie ; Cairat, Manon ; Blanco Lopez, Jessica and Al Nahas, Aline , et al. (2023) In European Journal of Nutrition
Abstract

PURPOSE: To investigate the role of adiposity in the associations between ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption and head and neck cancer (HNC) and oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort.

METHODS: Our study included 450,111 EPIC participants. We used Cox regressions to investigate the associations between the consumption of UPFs and HNC and OAC risk. A mediation analysis was performed to assess the role of body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) in these associations. In sensitivity analyses, we investigated accidental death as a negative control outcome.

RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 14.13 ± 3.98 years, 910 and 215 participants... (More)

PURPOSE: To investigate the role of adiposity in the associations between ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption and head and neck cancer (HNC) and oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort.

METHODS: Our study included 450,111 EPIC participants. We used Cox regressions to investigate the associations between the consumption of UPFs and HNC and OAC risk. A mediation analysis was performed to assess the role of body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) in these associations. In sensitivity analyses, we investigated accidental death as a negative control outcome.

RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 14.13 ± 3.98 years, 910 and 215 participants developed HNC and OAC, respectively. A 10% g/d higher consumption of UPFs was associated with an increased risk of HNC (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14-1.34) and OAC (HR = 1.24, 95% CI 1.05-1.47). WHR mediated 5% (95% CI 3-10%) of the association between the consumption of UPFs and HNC risk, while BMI and WHR, respectively, mediated 13% (95% CI 6-53%) and 15% (95% CI 8-72%) of the association between the consumption of UPFs and OAC risk. UPF consumption was positively associated with accidental death in the negative control analysis.

CONCLUSIONS: We reaffirmed that higher UPF consumption is associated with greater risk of HNC and OAC in EPIC. The proportion mediated via adiposity was small. Further research is required to investigate other mechanisms that may be at play (if there is indeed any causal effect of UPF consumption on these cancers).

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epub
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European Journal of Nutrition
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:85177607194
  • pmid:37989797
ISSN
1436-6215
DOI
10.1007/s00394-023-03270-1
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b9982bb4-9c22-471d-9247-43f76bf0aad0
date added to LUP
2023-12-04 21:47:59
date last changed
2024-04-18 00:05:27
@article{b9982bb4-9c22-471d-9247-43f76bf0aad0,
  abstract     = {{<p>PURPOSE: To investigate the role of adiposity in the associations between ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption and head and neck cancer (HNC) and oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort.</p><p>METHODS: Our study included 450,111 EPIC participants. We used Cox regressions to investigate the associations between the consumption of UPFs and HNC and OAC risk. A mediation analysis was performed to assess the role of body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) in these associations. In sensitivity analyses, we investigated accidental death as a negative control outcome.</p><p>RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 14.13 ± 3.98 years, 910 and 215 participants developed HNC and OAC, respectively. A 10% g/d higher consumption of UPFs was associated with an increased risk of HNC (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14-1.34) and OAC (HR = 1.24, 95% CI 1.05-1.47). WHR mediated 5% (95% CI 3-10%) of the association between the consumption of UPFs and HNC risk, while BMI and WHR, respectively, mediated 13% (95% CI 6-53%) and 15% (95% CI 8-72%) of the association between the consumption of UPFs and OAC risk. UPF consumption was positively associated with accidental death in the negative control analysis.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: We reaffirmed that higher UPF consumption is associated with greater risk of HNC and OAC in EPIC. The proportion mediated via adiposity was small. Further research is required to investigate other mechanisms that may be at play (if there is indeed any causal effect of UPF consumption on these cancers).</p>}},
  author       = {{Morales-Berstein, Fernanda and Biessy, Carine and Viallon, Vivian and Goncalves-Soares, Ana and Casagrande, Corinne and Hémon, Bertrand and Kliemann, Nathalie and Cairat, Manon and Blanco Lopez, Jessica and Al Nahas, Aline and Chang, Kiara and Vamos, Eszter and Rauber, Fernanda and Bertazzi Levy, Renata and Barbosa Cunha, Diana and Jakszyn, Paula and Ferrari, Pietro and Vineis, Paolo and Masala, Giovanna and Catalano, Alberto and Sonestedt, Emily and Borné, Yan and Katzke, Verena and Bajracharya, Rashmita and Agnoli, Claudia and Guevara, Marcela and Heath, Alicia and Radoï, Loredana and Mancini, Francesca and Weiderpass, Elisabete and Huerta, José María and Sánchez, María-José and Tjønneland, Anne and Kyrø, Cecilie and Schulze, Matthias B and Skeie, Guri and Lukic, Marko and Braaten, Tonje and Gunter, Marc and Millett, Christopher and Agudo, Antonio and Brennan, Paul and Borges, M Carolina and Richmond, Rebecca C and Richardson, Tom G and Davey Smith, George and Relton, Caroline L and Huybrechts, Inge}},
  issn         = {{1436-6215}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{11}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{European Journal of Nutrition}},
  title        = {{Ultra-processed foods, adiposity and risk of head and neck cancer and oesophageal adenocarcinoma in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study : a mediation analysis}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00394-023-03270-1}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00394-023-03270-1}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}