title: Distance covered during a six-minute walk test predicts long-term cardiovascular mortality and hospitalisation rates in men with systolic heart failure: an observational study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Does the distance covered during a 6-minute walk test predict risk of death or hospitalisation for cardiovascular reasons in men with stable heart failure over three years of follow-up?
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  243 men with stable systolic heart failure, with a mean age of 60 yr (SD 11) and left ventricular ejection fraction of 29% (SD 8). According to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification, 15% of the participants were in Class I, 44% in Class II, 37% in Class III, and 4% in class IV.
  
  
  METHODS
  The exercise capacity of participants was measured using the 6-minute walk test. The participants were followed up for at least three years in the case of survivors. The primary end-points of the survival analyses included cardiovascular death or urgent cardiovascular hospitalisation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the 3-year follow-up, 44% of the participants died, and 69% died or required hospitalisation for cardiovascular reasons. A multivariate analysis showed that the shorter the distance covered in the 6-minute walk test, the greater the 1-year and 3-year mortality risk. Participants with a 6-minute walk test ≤ 468 m had a mortality hazard ratio of 3.22 (95% CI 1.17 to 8.86) at one year and 2.18 (95% CI 1.18 to 4.03) at three years. Multivariate analysis also showed that higher risk mortality or hospitalisation for cardiovascular reasons was predicted by a 6-minute walk distance ≤ 468m, with a hazard ratio of 2.77 (95% CI 1.30 to 5.88) at one year and 1.71 (95% CI 1.08 to 2.72) at three years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 6-minute walk test distance constitutes an independent predictor of mortality and mortality or hospitalisation for cardiovascular reasons in men with stable systolic heart failure.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physiotherapy, University School of Physical Education, Poland. kinga.teodorczyk@o2.pl
authors.forename: Kinga
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wegrzynowska-Teodorczyk
authors.forename: Eliza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rudzinska
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lazorczyk
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nowakowska
authors.forename: Waldemar
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Banasiak
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ponikowski
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wozniewski
authors.forename: Ewa Anita
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Jankowska
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000072038:Cardiac Rehabilitation; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D054143:Heart Failure, Systolic / Q000401:mortality* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016138:Walking
keywords: 6-minute walk test; Cardiovascular mortality; Heart failure; Re-hospitalization