Mean arterial pressure (MAP) is the average blood pressure in a person at any given time, calculated using the equation MAP = (CO x SVR) + CVP. It reflects the perfusion pressure to organs and should be 70-110 mmHg. MAP is a more generalized measure of blood pressure over the course of the cardiac cycle compared to systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The equation used to calculate MAP is derived from cardiac output (CO) and systemic vascular resistance (SVR). The simplified equation is MAP = diastolic blood pressure + 1/3 (systolic blood pressure – diastolic blood pressure). A healthy individual’s MAP should be 70-110mmHG, and if it drops below 60 mmHg, a person’s organs may be at risk.
Mean arterial pressure (MAP) is a measure of the average blood pressure in a person at any given time. This value is mostly calculated using two equations or a simplified version of both. The most commonly used equation is MAP = (CO x SVR) + CVP, where “CO” represents cardiac output, “SVR” represents systemic vascular resistance, and “CVP” equals central venous pressure. Mean arterial pressure, measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHG), is significant as it reflects the perfusion pressure to organs in the body. This value in a healthy individual should be 70-110 mmHg.
Conventionally, blood pressure is measured using two readings. Systolic blood pressure, the first value, reflects the mean pressure exerted on the arterial walls during the contraction of the heart; a cardiac phase known as systole. The second number is diastolic blood pressure, which represents the mean arterial pressure during the heart’s relaxation period, or diastole. While this conventional method is accurate in describing blood pressure during the two more distinct cardiac phases, mean arterial pressure is intended to provide a more generalized measure of blood pressure over the course of the cardiac cycle.
To understand more about mean arterial pressure, it is necessary to make sense of the equation from which this value is derived. Again, the equation used is MAP = (CO x SVR) + CVP. Central venous pressure (CVP) is commonly left out of the equation due to its nominal value, typically close to zero. Therefore, MAP = CO x SVR.
Cardiac output (CO) is the volume of blood flowing through the heart during an interval of one minute. CO equals heart rate (HR) times stroke volume (SV), so an increase in heart rate or stroke volume, with other variables constant, will cause an increase in mean arterial pressure, and vice versa. Systemic vascular resistance measures the resistance that the heart must overcome for the vascular system to contract and expel blood in the arteries. Like cardiac output, this is directly related to MAP.
The second equation, MAP = diastolic blood pressure + 1/3 (systolic blood pressure – diastolic blood pressure), is referred to as a more convenient but typically less accurate form of MAP calculation. The difference in systolic and diastolic blood pressure is known as pulse pressure. This simplifies the equation to MAP = DP + 1/3 PP.
If the human body is functioning properly, the mean arterial pressure will be measured at 70-110mmHG. This means that the body’s organs receive enough blood to provide adequate perfusion of oxygen and other nutrients. When MAP drops below 60 mmHg, a person’s organs may be at risk due to a lack of nutrients needed to sustain life.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
