Which factor is described as increasing arterial blood pressure due to resistance?

• A. Regular exercise burns fat and lowers BP
• B. Vasodilation reduces arterial pressure
• C. Improved fitness lowers BP through reduced vascular resistance
• D. Fat deposits from diet increase resistance, raising BP

Answer: (D)

The important idea here is that arterial blood pressure rises when peripheral resistance in the blood vessels increases. Fat deposits from the diet contribute to higher resistance by promoting changes in the arteries—fat buildup and obesity can lead to a stiffer, narrowed vasculature and higher baseline vascular tone. This makes it harder for blood to flow, so pressure must rise to push blood through those vessels. In other words, increased vascular resistance pushes blood pressure upward.

Other statements describe factors that lower resistance. Regular exercise and better fitness improve endothelial function and promote vasodilation, which reduces resistance and lowers blood pressure. Vasodilation directly lowers arterial pressure by widening the vessels. So the only option that describes a factor increasing resistance (and thus BP) is the one about fat deposits from diet.