Cardiorespiratory requirements and reproducibility of the six-minute walk test in elderly patients with coronary artery disease.
OBJECTIVE
To measure the cardiorespiratory requirements of the six-minute walk test (6MWT), to compare this demand with the symptom-limited exercise test (SLET) at ventilatory threshold and at maximal level in elderly patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), and to assess the reproducibility of the 6MWT in cardiorespiratory exchanges in those patients.


METHODS
Comparative and reproducibility sample.


METHODS
Cardiac rehabilitation service.


METHODS
Twenty-five people with CAD.


METHODS
Subjects performed an SLET and a 6MWT. To test 6MWT reproducibility, 9 patients performed 2 repeated 6MWTs.


METHODS
The 6MWT cardiorespiratory values, measured with a portable gas analyzer, were compared with the SLET data and with the data from the 2 repeated 6MWTs.


RESULTS
The 6MWT peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak, 14.27+/-2.94 mL.min(-1).kg(-1)) and heart rate (94+/-14 beats/min) did not differ from the SLET values at ventilatory threshold (VO2, 13.4+/-2.65 mL.min(-1).kg(-1); heart rate, 91+/-17 beats/min), whereas the 6MWT ventilation (VEpeak, 36.72+/-10.03 L/min) was higher than the SLET at ventilatory threshold (Ve, 31.54+/-8.93 L/min, P<.03). Maximal 6MWT cardiorespiratory data were lower than the SLET maximal values. Cardiorespiratory values did not differ between the 2 repeated 6MWT (VO2peak, 15.33+/-3.52 mL.min(-1).kg(-1) vs 15.11+/-2.65 mL.min(-1).kg(-1); VEpeak, 39.07+/-12.33 L/min vs 39.07+/-12.13 L/min; heart rate, 95+/-21 beats/min vs 89+/-15 beats/min).


CONCLUSIONS
The 6MWT cardiorespiratory requirement values did not differ from SLET values at ventilatory threshold except for ventilation, and 6MWT values are reproducible in elderly patients with CAD.
Gayda
Mathieu
M
Laboratiore de Recherche EA: 3300 APS et Condiutes Motrices: Adaptations et Réadaptations, Faculté des Sciences du Sport, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France.
Temfemo
Abdou
A
Choquet
Dominique
D
Ahmaïdi
Saïd
S
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015308:Anaerobic Threshold; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001944:Breath Tests / Q000379:methods*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013318:Stroke Volume; D013686:Telemetry / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D013997:Time Factors; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology