Which of the following is an example of a secondary risk factor?

• A. Stress
• B. Diet quality
• C. Regular exercise
• D. Age

Answer: (A)

Secondary risk factors are conditions or behaviors that can magnify existing risk factors and are influenced by lifestyle or stress. Stress fits this idea because how you handle stress can raise blood pressure, affect sleep, and lead to unhealthy coping choices (like poor diet or skipped workouts), thereby increasing overall risk when combined with other factors such as age or genetics. Diet quality and regular exercise are direct lifestyle factors that influence risk more straightforwardly—poor diet quality can raise risk on its own, and regular exercise tends to lower risk—while age is a non-modifiable factor.