Six Minute Walk Test to assess functional capacity in chronic liver disease patients.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the utility of Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT) in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD).


METHODS
Two hundred and fifty subjects between the ages of 18 and 80 (mean 47) years performed 6MWT and the Six Minute Walk Distance (6MWD) was measured.


RESULTS
The subjects were categorized into four groups. Group A (n = 45) healthy subjects (control); group B (n = 49) chronic hepatitis B patients; group C (n = 54) chronic hepatitis C patients; group D (n = 98) liver cirrhosis patients. The four groups differed in terms of 6MWDs (P < 0.001). The longest distance walked was 421 +/- 47 m by group A, then group B (390 +/- 53 m), group C (357 +/- 72 m) and group D (306 +/- 111 m). The 6MWD correlated with age (r = -0.482, P < 0.01), hemoglobin (r = 0.373, P < 0.001) and albumin (r = 0.311, P < 0.001) levels. The Child-Pugh classification was negatively correlated with the 6MWD in cirrhosis (group D) patients (r = -0.328, P < 0.01). At the end of a 12 mo follow-up period, 15 of the 98 cirrhosis patients had died from disease complications. The 6MWD for the surviving cirrhotic patients was longer than for non-survivors (317 +/- 101 vs 245 +/- 145 m, P = 0.021; 95% CI 11-132). The 6MWD was found to be an independent predictor of survival (P = 0.024).


CONCLUSIONS
6MWT is a useful tool for assessing physical function in CLD patients. We suggest that 6MWD may serve as a prognostic indicator in patients with liver cirrhosis.
Unit of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine (38), King Saud University, PO Box: 2925, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia. hatem.alameri@gmail.com
Hatem F
HF
Alameri
Faisal M
FM
Sanai
Manal
M
Al Dukhayil
Nahla A
NA
Azzam
Khalid A
KA
Al-Swat
Ahmad S
AS
Hersi
Ayman A
AA
Abdo
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D016138:Walking