title: The six-minute walk test predicts cardiorespiratory fitness in individuals with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.
abstract: Peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) established during progressive cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is the "gold-standard" for cardiorespiratory fitness. However, CPET measurements may be limited in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (a-SAH) by disease-related complaints, such as cardiovascular health-risks or anxiety. Furthermore, CPET with gas-exchange analyses require specialized knowledge and infrastructure with limited availability in most rehabilitation facilities.
  
  
  
  To determine whether an easy-to-administer six-minute walk test (6MWT) is a valid clinical alternative to progressive CPET in order to predict VO2peakin individuals with a-SAH.
  
  
  
  Twenty-seven patients performed the 6MWT and CPET with gas-exchange analyses on a cycle ergometer. Univariate and multivariate regression models were made to investigate the predictability of VO2peakfrom the six-minute walk distance (6MWD).
  
  
  
  Univariate regression showed that the 6MWD was strongly related to VO2peak(r = 0.75, p < 0.001), with an explained variance of 56% and a prediction error of 4.12 ml/kg/min, representing 18% of mean VO2peak. Adding age and sex to an extended multivariate regression model improved this relationship (r = 0.82, p < 0.001), with an explained variance of 67% and a prediction error of 3.67 ml/kg/min corresponding to 16% of mean VO2peak.
  
  
  
  The 6MWT is an easy-to-administer submaximal exercise test that can be selected to estimate cardiorespiratory fitness at an aggregated level, in groups of patients with a-SAH, which may help to evaluate interventions in a clinical or research setting. However, the relatively large prediction error does not allow for an accurate prediction in individual patients.
authors.affiliation: a Rijndam Rehabilitation Institute , Rotterdam , The Netherlands.|b Department of Rehabilitation Medicine , Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wouter J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Harmsen
authors.affiliation: a Rijndam Rehabilitation Institute , Rotterdam , The Netherlands.|b Department of Rehabilitation Medicine , Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gerard M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Ribbers
authors.affiliation: b Department of Rehabilitation Medicine , Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jorrit
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Slaman
authors.affiliation: a Rijndam Rehabilitation Institute , Rotterdam , The Netherlands.|b Department of Rehabilitation Medicine , Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Majanka H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Heijenbrok-Kal
authors.affiliation: c Department of Neurology , Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam , Rotterdam , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ladbon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Khajeh
authors.affiliation: c Department of Neurology , Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam , Rotterdam , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Fop
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: van Kooten
authors.affiliation: d Department of Endocrinology , Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam , Rotterdam , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sebastiaan J C M M
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Neggers
authors.affiliation: a Rijndam Rehabilitation Institute , Rotterdam , The Netherlands.|b Department of Rehabilitation Medicine , Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rita J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: van den Berg-Emons
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000072599:Cardiorespiratory Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000070857:Walk Test / Q000592:standards*
keywords: 6MWT; CPET; Six-min walk test; VO2peak; cardiopulmonary exercise test; cardiorespiratory fitness; peak oxygen consumption; rehabilitation; standard error of the estimate; subarachnoid hemorrhage