Systemic overperfusion and resting blood pressure

During psychosocial stressors, individuals with mildly elevated resting blo od pressures (BP) exhibit cardiac output (CO) that is in excess of metaboli c demand (i.e., systemic overperfusion). The present study used the "additi onal" CO method to assess whether individuals in the high average BP range also exhibit systemic overperfusion at rest. Healthy young adult males (N = 48), divided into "high average" and "low average" groups using resting BP , participated in an active coping task. Consistent with past research, the high average group evidenced higher levels of additional CO than did the l ow average group during both baseline and task periods. More importantly. t he high average group also exhibited significant amounts of additional CO a t rest, whereas the low average group did not. These results may help to ad vance our understanding of the process by which systemic overperfusion may contribute to the development of elevated BP.