title: Assessment of daily life physical activities in pulmonary arterial hypertension.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), the six-minute walk test (6MWT) is believed to be representative of patient's daily life physical activities (DL(PA)). Whether DL(PA) are decreased in PAH and whether the 6MWT is representative of patient's DL(PA) remain unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  15 patients with idiopathic PAH (IPAH) and 10 patients with PAH associated with limited systemic sclerosis (PAH-SSc) were matched with 15 healthy control subjects and 10 patients with limited systemic sclerosis without PAH. Each subject completed a 6MWT. The mean number of daily steps and the mean energy expenditure and duration of physical activities >3 METs were assessed with a physical activity monitor for seven consecutive days and used as markers of DL(PA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean number of daily steps and the mean daily energy expenditure and duration of physical activities >3 METs were all reduced in PAH patients compared to their controls (all p<0.05). The mean number of daily steps correlated with the 6MWT distance for both IPAH and PAH-SSc patients (r = 0.76, p<0.01 and r = 0.85, p<0.01), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DL(PA) are decreased in PAH and correlate with the 6MWT distance. Functional exercise capacity may thus be a useful surrogate of DL(PA) in PAH.
authors: Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
authors: Vincent
authors: V
authors: Mainguy
authors: Steeve
authors: S
authors: Provencher
authors: François
authors: F
authors: Maltais
authors: Simon
authors: S
authors: Malenfant
authors: Didier
authors: D
authors: Saey
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D065627:Familial Primary Pulmonary Hypertension; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D016138:Walking