A 46-year-old woman has a blood pressure recording of 130/80 mmHg. Her mean arterial pressure is closest to:
- A 90 mmHg
- B 97 mmHg ✓
- C 105 mmHg
- D 110 mmHg
Correct answer: B. 97 mmHg
Explanation
Mean arterial pressure equals diastolic pressure plus one third of pulse pressure. Here pulse pressure is 130 minus 80, that is 50 mmHg, so MAP = 80 + 50/3, approximately 97 mmHg. This approximation holds because diastole lasts longer than systole at normal heart rates. Option A comes from simply averaging systolic and diastolic pressures, which ignores the unequal time spent in each phase and is the classic error.
Reference: Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology, 14th ed.
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