Prognostic value of 6-minute walk corridor test in patients with mild to moderate heart failure: comparison with other methods of functional evaluation.
OBJECTIVE
The study was designed to evaluate the prognostic value of the 6-min walk test (6MWT) in patients with mild to moderate congestive heart failure (CHF).


RESULTS
Two hundred and fourteen patients (119 men and 95 women, mean age 64 years) were followed for a mean period of 34 months to assess event-free survival (death, heart transplantation). Sixty-six patients (34%) died (63 cardiovascular causes, 2 cancer and 1 stroke) and five patients underwent heart transplantation. For patients who walked <300 m during the 6MWT, survival was 62% compared with 82% in patients who walked 300-450 m or>450 m. With univariate analysis, NYHA class was the strongest predictor of death. LVEF (P<0.0001), aetiology of heart failure (P<0.001), LV filling pattern (P=0.002) and 6MWT distance (P<0.01) were all significantly related to survival. No significant relationship was found between survival, peak oxygen consumption or anaerobic threshold. Multivariate analysis using the Cox-stepwise regression model showed that LV fractional shortening (P<0.009) and 6MWT distance (P<0.0005) were the strongest prognostic markers.


CONCLUSIONS
A 6MWT distance of <300 m is a simple and useful prognostic marker of subsequent cardiac death in unselected patients with mild to moderate CHF.
Rostagno
Carlo
C
U.O. Clinica Medica e Cardiologia, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 85, 50134 Florence, Italy. c.rostagno@katamail.com
Olivo
Giuseppe
G
Comeglio
Marco
M
Boddi
Vieri
V
Banchelli
Michela
M
Galanti
Giorgio
G
Gensini
Gian Franco
GF
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015308:Anaerobic Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*