Measuring the pressure in an artery continuously produces the trace shown in Fig 1. The values presented are for a typical, healthy person.

The change in shape during the descending part of the wave is the dicrotic notch. It is generally thought to represent the elastic recoil of the aortic wall immediately after aortic valve closure.

Question: Why is mean arterial pressure approximately one third of the way between the diastolic and systolic values?

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Measuring the pressure in an artery continuously produces the trace shown in Fig 1. The values presented are for a typical, healthy person.

The change in shape during the descending part of the wave is the dicrotic notch. It is generally thought to represent the elastic recoil of the aortic wall immediately after aortic valve closure.

Question: Why is mean arterial pressure approximately one third of the way between the diastolic and systolic values?

Answer: At rest the cardiac cycle spends about two thirds of the time in diastole and one third in systole. The mean blood pressure reflects their respective contributions.