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Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) Calculator

Calculate your mean arterial pressure.

How it is calculated

Mean arterial pressure estimates the average pressure in the arteries over one heartbeat. The tool uses MAP = DBP + (SBP − DBP) / 3, where SBP is the systolic and DBP the diastolic pressure, both in mmHg. Diastole lasts longer than systole in a resting heart, so the average sits closer to the diastolic value, which is why only a third of the pulse pressure (SBP − DBP) is added. Both values must be greater than zero. The result is rounded to a whole number. It is an estimate for educational use and it does not replace a clinician's judgement; target values depend on the person and the medical situation.

Worked example

A reading of 120/80 mmHg. Pulse pressure = 120 − 80 = 40 mmHg. One third of it is 13.33. MAP = 80 + 13.33 = 93.33, which the tool rounds to 93 mmHg.

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Common mistakes

  • Swapping systolic and diastolic: the larger number goes in the systolic field.
  • Using kPa instead of mmHg without converting.
  • Averaging the two numbers, which gives 100 instead of the 93 mmHg of the weighted formula.
  • Using a single reading as a trend; blood pressure varies during the day and between measurements.
  • Applying the one-third rule to a very fast heart rate, where it is less accurate.

About this calculator

This calculator finds Mean Arterial Pressure using MAP = DBP + ⅓(SBP − DBP) — the diastolic pressure plus one third of the pulse pressure — which better reflects average blood flow and organ perfusion through a full cardiac cycle than either the systolic or diastolic number alone, since the heart spends more time in diastole than systole.

Clinicians use MAP as a key vital sign in intensive care and anesthesia, particularly for gauging whether organs like the kidneys and brain are getting adequate blood flow (a MAP below about 60 mmHg is generally considered too low for reliable organ perfusion), and it's also used in critical-care research to standardize how perfusion is reported across patients.

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