Answer first
What this calculator tells you
Calculate mean arterial pressure and pulse pressure from a blood pressure reading. Understand a reading in one number, then let a clinician interpret it. Formula: MAP = diastolic + (systolic − diastolic) ÷ 3; pulse pressure = systolic − diastolic. At the worked-example inputs, the mean arterial pressure (mmhg) is 93.3. Holding every other input steady, moving systolic pressure (mmhg) from 96 to 144 moves the result from 85.3 to 101.3.
Transparent method
The formula
Understand a reading in one number, then let a clinician interpret it.
Worked example
Example inputs
How to interpret the result
Blood pressure has two numbers, but organs feel the average pressure through the cycle. Mean arterial pressure weights the resting phase twice as heavily as the pumping phase, so a reading of 120 over 80 works out to about 93. Pulse pressure is the gap between the two numbers, 40 here, and clinicians watch it because a wide or narrow gap says something on its own.
At the worked-example inputs the mean arterial pressure (mmhg) is 93.3. It rises with diastolic pressure (mmhg) and systolic pressure (mmhg).
A calculated value from a lab panel or a blood pressure reading is an educational estimate, not a diagnosis. Targets depend on your age, history and other risk factors, so use the numbers your own clinician sets, and never change a medicine or a plan because of a calculator.
Before you rely on it
What to check
Use a proper seated reading taken after rest. One reading right after stairs or coffee can shift both numbers.
The common error
Where people go wrong with mean arterial pressure calculator
Averaging the two numbers. The heart spends longer relaxed than pumping, so the simple average of 100 overstates the true mean.
Sensitivity evidence
How systolic pressure (mmhg) changes the mean arterial pressure (mmhg)
Holding every other input at the worked-example value, moving systolic pressure (mmhg) from 96 to 144 moves the mean arterial pressure (mmhg) from 85.3 to 101.3: a spread of 16, or 17% of the worked-example result.
| Systolic pressure (mmHg) | Mean arterial pressure (mmHg) | Pulse pressure (mmHg) |
|---|---|---|
| 96 | 85.3 | 16 |
| 108 | 89.3 | 28 |
| 120worked example | 93.3 | 40 |
| 132 | 97.3 | 52 |
| 144 | 101.3 | 64 |
Every input, tested
Which input moves the mean arterial pressure (mmhg) most
Of the 2 inputs, diastolic pressure (mmhg) moves the mean arterial pressure (mmhg) most (10.7 across the range tested) and systolic pressure (mmhg) moves it least (8).
| Input | Tested from | To | Mean arterial pressure (mmHg) at each end | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diastolic pressure (mmHg) | 72 | 88 | 88 to 98.7 | 10.7 (11%) |
| Systolic pressure (mmHg) | 108 | 132 | 89.3 to 97.3 | 8 (8.6%) |
Two variables at once
Mean arterial pressure (mmHg) by systolic pressure (mmhg) and diastolic pressure (mmhg)
Across the grid the mean arterial pressure (mmhg) runs from 74.7 to 112. Moving systolic pressure (mmhg) from 96 to 144 shifts it by 16 at the middle column, and moving diastolic pressure (mmhg) from 64 to 96 shifts it by 21.3 at the middle row, so diastolic pressure (mmhg) is the bigger lever here.
| Systolic pressure (mmHg) \ Diastolic pressure (mmHg) | 64 | 80 | 96 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 96 | 74.7 | 85.3 | 96 |
| 108 | 78.7 | 89.3 | 100 |
| 120 | 82.7 | 93.3 | 104 |
| 132 | 86.7 | 97.3 | 108 |
| 144 | 90.7 | 101.3 | 112 |
The highlighted cell is the worked example: 93.3.
Step by step
The worked example, input by input
| Input | Value used | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Systolic pressure (mmHg) | 120 | Enter the systolic pressure (mmhg) used in this calculation. |
| Diastolic pressure (mmHg) | 80 | Enter the diastolic pressure (mmhg) used in this calculation. |
| Mean arterial pressure (mmHg) | 93.3 | |
| Pulse pressure (mmHg) | 40 | |
Inputs, definitions and assumptions
Systolic pressure (mmHg)
Enter the systolic pressure (mmhg) used in this calculation. The prefilled worked-example value is 120.
Diastolic pressure (mmHg)
Enter the diastolic pressure (mmhg) used in this calculation. The prefilled worked-example value is 80.
How to use this calculator
- 1Verify the inputs. Gather systolic pressure (mmhg) and diastolic pressure (mmhg) from your own documents; the prefilled values are examples.
- 2Save a baseline. The worked example puts the mean arterial pressure (mmhg) at 93.3. Store your own version of it as Scenario A.
- 3Test one change. Start with diastolic pressure (mmhg), the input with the biggest effect here: moving diastolic pressure (mmhg) from 72 to 88 takes the mean arterial pressure (mmhg) from 88 to 98.7, a swing of 11% of the worked-example figure.
- 4Check the extremes. At half the example diastolic pressure (mmhg) (40) the mean arterial pressure (mmhg) is 66.7; at double (160) it is 146.7.
People also ask
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate mean arterial pressure?
MAP = diastolic + (systolic − diastolic) ÷ 3; pulse pressure = systolic − diastolic. At the worked-example inputs the mean arterial pressure (mmhg) is 93.3.
What does the mean arterial pressure result mean?
Understand a reading in one number, then let a clinician interpret it. At the worked-example inputs the mean arterial pressure (mmhg) is 93.3. It rises with diastolic pressure (mmhg) and systolic pressure (mmhg).
How much does systolic pressure (mmhg) change the mean arterial pressure (mmhg)?
Holding every other input at the worked-example value, moving systolic pressure (mmhg) from 96 to 144 moves the mean arterial pressure (mmhg) from 85.3 to 101.3, a spread of 16.
What are the limits of this mean arterial pressure calculator?
A calculated value from a lab panel or a blood pressure reading is an educational estimate, not a diagnosis. Targets depend on your age, history and other risk factors, so use the numbers your own clinician sets, and never change a medicine or a plan because of a calculator. The tables on this page test systolic pressure (mmhg) only from 96 to 144; a value outside that range is not tabulated here.
Which input moves the mean arterial pressure (mmhg) most in the mean arterial pressure calculator?
Ranked by how far each moves the mean arterial pressure (mmhg) across the range tested: diastolic pressure (mmhg) (10.7, 11%) and systolic pressure (mmhg) (8, 8.6%).
If I double diastolic pressure (mmhg) in the mean arterial pressure calculator, does the mean arterial pressure (mmhg) double?
Doubling it from 80 to 160 takes the mean arterial pressure (mmhg) from 93.3 to 146.7, which is 1.57 times the worked-example figure. So it grows, but by less than double. Halving it to 40 gives 66.7.
How much does diastolic pressure (mmhg) matter in the mean arterial pressure calculator?
The worked example uses 80. With the other inputs left at the worked example, moving diastolic pressure (mmhg) from 72 to 88 takes the mean arterial pressure (mmhg) from 88 to 98.7, a swing of 11% of the worked-example figure.
Which inputs change the pulse pressure (mmhg) in the mean arterial pressure calculator?
At the worked-example inputs it is 40. Systolic pressure (mmhg) takes it from 28 to 52 and diastolic pressure (mmhg) takes it from 48 to 32.
What is a normal range?
A range that most healthy people fall inside, usually the middle 95 percent of a reference group. Sitting just outside it is not automatically a problem, and sitting inside it is not a guarantee.
Is an estimated due date reliable?
Only a small share of babies arrive on the estimated date. Most arrive within a couple of weeks either side, so the date is a midpoint to plan around, not a deadline.
Is the fertile window the same every month?
No. Ovulation timing moves with stress, illness, travel and cycle length, so the window shifts from month to month, even for people with regular cycles.
Sources and evidence
Free Calculators Online is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the source organizations. Educational estimates only.