Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40643164›Full record

ArticleJournal of global health2025

Differences in metabolic adaptations during mid and late pregnancy: a comparative cohort study between Rwanda and Germany.

Alemayehu Amberbir, Madeleine Ordnung, Sage Marie Consolatrice Ishimwe, Ronald Biemann, Mandy Vogel, Wieland Kiess, Antje Körner, Balkachew Nigatu, Darius Bazimya, Theogene Uwizeyimana and 4 more

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of global health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Alemayehu Amberbir *Center for Population Health, University of Global Health Equity, Kigali, Rwanda.
Madeleine Ordnung *Pediatric Epidemiology, Department of Pediatrics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
Sage Marie Consolatrice IshimweCenter for Population Health, University of Global Health Equity, Kigali, Rwanda.
Ronald BiemannInstitute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Mandy VogelLIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Wieland KiessLIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Antje KörnerLIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Balkachew NigatuKing Faisal Hospital, Kigali, Rwanda.
Darius BazimyaBill and Joyce Cummings Institute of Global Health, University of Global Health Equity, Kigali, Rwanda.
Theogene UwizeyimanaBill and Joyce Cummings Institute of Global Health, University of Global Health Equity, Kigali, Rwanda.
Jean Baptiste NiyibiziSchool of Medicine, University of Global Health Equity, Butaro, Rwanda.
Daniel SeifuSchool of Medicine, University of Global Health Equity, Butaro, Rwanda.
Abebe BekeleSchool of Medicine, University of Global Health Equity, Kigali, Rwanda.
Jon GenuneitPediatric Epidemiology, Department of Pediatrics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: While cross-ancestral differences in glucose and lipid metabolism are widely reported in adults, there is a paucity of data on pregnant women during various stages of pregnancy. There is no consensus on what defines normal lipid ranges during pregnancy. Establishing reference ranges is crucial to reduce the risk of missing associated maternal and fetal health issues. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the metabolic profiles of healthy pregnant women and to establish national Rwandan reference ranges for these metabolites. Methods: We derived the data from two ongoing longitudinal cohort studies conducted in predominantly rural Rwanda and urban Germany (Leipzig), providing repeat data from the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. We measured concentrations of glucose, total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and triglycerides (TG), and estimated their associations with trimesters and cohorts using multivariable linear regression. We estimated the reference ranges using the 5th and 95th percentiles for each metabolic marker. Results: For Rwanda and Leipzig, lipids and lipoproteins increased across trimesters, except for HDL, which remained equally low for Rwanda and significantly decreased for Leipzig. Concentrations of TC, low-density lipoprotein, and non-HDL were significantly higher in Leipzig compared to Rwanda for both trimesters, while HDL was significantly lower in Rwanda. Rwanda exhibited significantly higher TG levels in the second trimester than Leipzig, although this difference did not persist into the third trimester. Glucose concentrations were significantly higher in Rwanda than in Leipzig for both trimesters. Conclusions: This is the first representative study investigating lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in pregnant women from Rwanda and comparing them to a European sample. This study shows that lipid, lipoprotein, and glucose concentrations differ by ancestry and stage of pregnancy. The higher TG and glucose concentrations in Rwanda may indicate an emerging burden of metabolic disorders in Africa.

Indexed as

LipidsPregnancy Trimester, SecondPregnancy Trimester, ThirdAdultBlood GlucoseCohort StudiesFemaleGermanyHumansLongitudinal StudiesPregnancyReference ValuesRwandaTriglyceridesYoung AdultBlood GlucoseLipidsTriglycerides

Identifiers

PMID40643164
PMCPMC12247662

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