Advanced Patient Assessment Practice Exam

Which habit is most likely to lead to elevated blood pressure in adults?

1. High protein diet

2. Lack of exercise

3. Smoking

4. Excessive salt intake

The correct answer is: Smoking

Elevated blood pressure, or hypertension, is often influenced by multiple lifestyle factors, and smoking is particularly significant among these. Smoking introduces a range of harmful chemicals into the body, including nicotine, which can lead to an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. The acute effects of smoking include vasoconstriction, which can diminish blood vessel flexibility and increase resistance within the circulatory system, thereby elevating blood pressure. Furthermore, the cumulative effects of smoking can result in damage to blood vessels over time, contributing to chronic hypertension and increasing the risk for cardiovascular diseases. This connection is well-supported in medical literature, emphasizing smoking as a major modifiable risk factor for high blood pressure. While excessive salt intake is also a well-known factor that can directly raise blood pressure by retaining fluid and increasing blood volume, the immediate and significant impact of smoking on cardiovascular health and pressure regulation establishes it as a more critical habit in this context. Lack of exercise contributes to overall cardiovascular health but does not have as direct an effect as smoking itself. A high-protein diet, meanwhile, does not inherently relate to hypertension in the same direct manner as smoking. Thus, considering the established evidence linking smoking with elevated blood pressure, it is clear why this choice stands out among the options