Six-minute walk distance is not related to quality of life in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate physical performance on the six-minute walk test (6MWT) in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis and to investigate its relationship with quality of life (QoL). To identify predictors of exercise performance, we also investigated whether six-minute walk distance (6MWD) is associated with clinical and spirometric findings.


METHODS
This was a cross-sectional study involving patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (age, > 18 years), with at least one respiratory symptom for > 2 years and an FEV1 < 70% of predicted. Patients underwent clinical evaluation, pulmonary function tests, the 6MWT, and QoL assessment with the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36).


RESULTS
We included 70 patients (48 females). Mean age was 54.5 ± 17.7 years, and mean FEV1 was 44.9 ± 14.5% of predicted. The patients were divided into two groups: 6MWD-low (6MWD below the predicted lower limit; n = 23); and 6MWD-norm (normal 6MWD; n = 47). The following variables were significantly lower in the 6MWD-low group than in the 6MWD-norm group: age; age at diagnosis of bronchiectasis; proportion of former smokers; body mass index (BMI); FEV1% of predicted; and MEP% of predicted. There were no significant differences in the SF-36 scores between the groups. In the logistic regression model, lower age and lower BMI were significantly associated with lower 6MWD.


CONCLUSIONS
In this sample, there was a high proportion of patients who presented a lower than expected 6MWD. Although 6MWD was not related to QoL, it was associated with age and BMI.
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Pneumológicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Patrícia Santos
PS
Jacques
Marcelo Basso
MB
Gazzana
Dora Veronisi
DV
Palombini
Sérgio Saldanha Menna
SS
Barreto
Paulo de Tarso Roth
Pde T
Dalcin
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001987:Bronchiectasis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012016:Reference Values; D013147:Spirometry; D013997:Time Factors; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult