Which of the following is a controllable risk factor?

• A. Alcohol or Drug Abuse
• B. Hyperlipidemia
• C. Age
• D. Hypertension

Answer: (D)

The main idea is that modifiable risk factors are those you can actively change to reduce disease risk. Hypertension is a controllable risk factor because blood pressure can be lowered through medications (antihypertensives) and lifestyle changes such as weight loss, reduced salt intake, regular exercise, and limiting alcohol. Lowering blood pressure reduces stress on arterial walls and lowers the risk of vascular events like stroke and aneurysm, making it a particularly clear target for intervention.

Age cannot be changed, so it’s not a controllable factor. Hyperlipidemia is also modifiable, but hypertension is the quintessential example of a risk factor that clinicians actively manage on multiple fronts. Alcohol or drug abuse is a behavioral factor that can be modified, but in the vascular context hypertension is the most directly and routinely targeted controllable risk factor.