Which of the following is a risk factor for heart failure?

• A. A 45-year-old female with lung cancer stage 2
• B. A 60-year-old with long-standing hypertension
• C. A 25-year-old with asthma
• D. A 70-year-old with eczema

Answer: (B)

Chronic high blood pressure is a major driver of heart failure because it constantly increases the workload the heart must push against. That sustained afterload makes the left ventricle thicken and stiffen (hypertrophy and remodeling), which over time impairs both pumping and filling of the heart. This sequence raises the risk of heart failure, whether with preserved or reduced ejection fraction.

The other scenarios don’t fit as classic risk factors: asthma and eczema aren’t direct contributors to heart failure, and while age is related to increased risk in general, the presence of long-standing hypertension specifically identifies a well-established pathway to HF.