Escherichia coli bacteriuria in female adults is associated with the development of hypertension.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether Escherichia coli bacteriuria is associated with the development of hypertension during a long-term follow-up.


METHODS
A prospective cohort study was performed among the participants of two population-based studies. Between 1974 and 1986 all women aged 39 to 68 years old, who lived in Utrecht, the Netherlands, were invited to participate in a breast cancer screening program. The participants completed a questionnaire, underwent a medical examination, and collected a morning urine sample that remained stored. From 1993 to 1997 another population-based study was performed. We performed a full cohort analysis for 444 women who participated in both studies. E. coli bacteriuria was diagnosed by a real-time PCR. Hypertension was defined as the use of antihypertensive medication and/or a measured systolic blood pressure of at least 160 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure of 95 mmHg or higher. The mean follow-up was 11.5+/-1.7 years.


RESULTS
Forty women (9%) had E. coli bacteriuria at baseline. Women who had bacteriuria at baseline had a mean blood pressure at study endpoint of 133+/-20 mmHg systolic and 78+/-11 mmHg diastolic, and women without bacteriuria had values of 129+/-20 and 78+/-11 mmHg, respectively (p-values for difference 0.33 and 0.88). Although E. coli bacteriuria was not associated with the blood pressure as a continuous variable, it was associated with the development of hypertension during follow-up (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.4-5.5).


CONCLUSIONS
E. coli bacteriuria may increase the risk of future hypertension.
Meiland
Ruby
R
Department of Infectious Diseases and AIDS, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. r.meiland@umcutrecht.nl
Geerlings
Suzanne E
SE
Stolk
Ronald P
RP
Hoepelman
Andy I
AI
Peeters
Petra H
PH
Coenjaerts
Frank E
FE
Grobbee
Diederik E
DE
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001437:Bacteriuria / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000382:microbiology*; D016014:Linear Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D004269:DNA, Bacterial