title: [The relevance of the 6 minutes walking test and of dyspnea measured with mMRC scale in evaluating COPD severity].
abstract: The 6 minutes walking test (6MW) and the measurement of dyspnoea using Medical Research Council modified scale (mMRC) for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) allow an integrated diagnostic of severity, deficiencies and disability of active age, stable COPD patient, assisting the physician to create an adequate rehabilitation programme. The descriptive and prospective study that covered the period January 2008 - October 2010 aimed to determine the existing relationship between the dyspnoea degree, the 6 minutes walking test and the degree of severity of COPD patients, evaluated against GOLD stages.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a sample of 105 eligible COPD patients, aged 44 to 65, we measured the degree of severity of COPD using GOLD staging, mMRC dyspnea scale and 6MWT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The GOLD stages have a very strong correlation to dyspnoea degree measured by mMRC scale. The GOLD stages are moderately correlated with the distance covered in 6MWT. The dyspnoea degrees are strongly correlated with the distance covered in the 6MWT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The dyspnoea degree measured by the mMRC scale allows the evaluation of the severity and also the disability of the COPD patient. The 6MWT allows the measurement of the disease severity and prognosis by the distance covered and also the effort endurance revealing the disability degree.
authors.affiliation: Spitalul Clinic de Pneumoftiziologie Constanţa. manescu.veronica@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mănescu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011788:Quality of Life; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016138:Walking