Which of the following is a risk factor for preeclampsia?

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Preeclampsia risk is increased by conditions that already affect maternal vasculature and placental development; chronic hypertension is a well-established factor. When a person has preexisting high blood pressure before pregnancy, the maternal vessels are already under more strain, and there’s greater risk of placental malperfusion and endothelial dysfunction that can lead to the new-onset hypertension and organ involvement characteristic of preeclampsia after mid-pregnancy.

Regular exercise, by contrast, tends to improve vascular health and is associated with a lower risk of many pregnancy complications, not an increased risk of preeclampsia. Being underweight is not a recognized risk factor for preeclampsia (obesity is more clearly linked to higher risk). Vitamin C deficiency has no proven causal role in preeclampsia, and antioxidant supplementation has not consistently reduced risk in trials.