MAD - mean arterial pressure
The mean arterial pressure (MAD; English: mean arterial pressure = MAP) is the average blood pressure over time, independent of systolic and diastolic fluctuations in the vascular system. Because the pressure curve is not uniform, the MAD is not simply the average of systolic and diastolic blood pressure. An example makes this clear. In the diagram below, the diastolic value is 80 mmHg and the systolic pressure is 120 mmHg. The arithmetic mean would be 100 mmHg, but the MAD is significantly lower at approximately 93 mmHg.
The MAD is considered the most reliable parameter for organ blood flow. Normal values range from 70 to 105 mmHg. If the MAD stays below 60 mmHg for a prolonged period, there is a risk that the body's organs, including the brain, may not get enough oxygen and nutrients and can be damaged as a result.
Measurement
- The most accurate method is to determine the mean arterial pressure with an invasive blood pressure measurement.
- Blood pressure monitors that use the oscillometric method can determine the mean arterial pressure from the oscillation of the vessel wall. Unfortunately, this value is usually not shown on typical home devices.
- You can calculate the MAD from systolic and diastolic pressure using the following formula:
MAD = diastolic pressure + 1/3 * (systolic pressure – diastolic pressure)
In the example from the diagram with systolic pressure 120 mmHg and diastolic pressure 80 mmHg:
MAD = 80 + 1/3 * (120 – 80) = 93.3
Tip:
Sources:
- https://flexikon.doccheck.com/de/Mittlerer_arterieller_Blutdruck
- https://www.pschyrembel.de/Mittlerer%20arterieller%20Blutdruck%20(MAD)/webpages---klassifikationen---MittlererArteriellerBlutdruck/doc/
- https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mittlerer_arterieller_Druck
This article is from Tensana – the leading app since 2011, helping hundreds of thousands of people monitor their blood pressure every day.
Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 04/2025).
Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as outpatient care, and has headed the specialist editorial team at Tensana since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as an emergency medical technician, first responder, and in various areas of therapy and emergency care, she provides well-founded, practical, and reliably verified information.
Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as outpatient care, and has headed the specialist editorial team at Tensana since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as an emergency medical technician, first responder, and in various areas of therapy and emergency care, she provides well-founded, practical, and reliably verified information.
