People who contract gastroenteritis from drinking water contaminated with E. coli are at an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, kidney problems and heart disease in later life, according to a study published online in the British Medical Journal.
A team of researchers from Lawson Health Research Institute (Lawson) and The University of Western Ontario (Western) assessed the risk for hypertension, renal impairment and cardiovascular disease within eight years of gastroenteritis from drinking contaminated water. Compared to participants who were not ill or only mildly ill, those who experienced acute gastroenteritis were 1.3 times more likely to develop hypertension, 3.4 times more likely to develop renal impairment, and 2.1 times more likely to have a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke.
