During psychosocial stressors, individuals with mildly
elevated resting blood pressures (BP) exhibit cardiac output
(CO) that is in excess of metabolic demand (i.e., systemic
overperfusion). The present study used the “additional”
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 low average group
during both baseline and task periods. More importantly,
the high average group also exhibited significant amounts
of additional CO at rest, whereas the low average group
did not. These results may help to advance our understanding
of the process by which systemic overperfusion may contribute
to the development of elevated BP.