Exaggerated vasopressor response to exercise and cerebral blood flow velocity.

We studied 10 young adults, normotensive at rest, comprising a control group (n = 5) with normal blood pressure responsiveness to exercise and an experimental group exhibiting greater percentage of body fat and body mass index (BMI) than the controls, with exaggerated blood pressure (vasopressor) responsiveness to exercise (EEBPR) (n = 5). Lower absolute and varying oxygen consumption/body weight normalized units of middle cerebral arterial blood flow velocity (MCAV) were found during exercise in the experimental group (P < .01). These findings support the hypothesis that the combination of EEBPR and high BMI is associated with low MCAV that may put such individuals at risk for cerebral hypoperfusion and cognitive deficits.