title: Associations between the distance covered in the incremental shuttle walk test and lung function and health status in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Field walk tests such as the incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT) are simple tests for assessing the degree of disability in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In the present study, the correlations between exercise performance in the ISWT, lung function, and health status were examined in patients with COPD of varying severities.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective examination of 277 COPD patients was performed using the ISWT and lung function tests along with assessment of health status using St. George׳s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). In addition, we assessed the correlations between the walking distance, lung function parameters, and SGRQ scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ISWT distances were poorly correlated with lung function parameters and SGRQ scores in mild COPD patients. In contrast, ISWT distances were significantly correlated with pulmonary function parameters, such as vital capacity (%predicted) and forced expiratory volume in one second, and SGRQ scores in moderate and severe COPD patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ISWT is more independent of health status and pulmonary function in patients with mild COPD compared to moderate or severe cases. Therefore, the exercise capacity of patients with mild COPD should be estimated by the ISWT.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621 Japan. Electronic address: atsuhito@shinshu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Atsuhito
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ushiki
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621 Japan. Electronic address: shuhei@shinshu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Shuhei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nozawa
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621 Japan. Electronic address: yasumasa@shinshu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yasuo
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621 Japan. Electronic address: ichiju@shinshu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Urushihata
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621 Japan. Electronic address: yama5252@shinshu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621 Japan. Electronic address: masayuki@shinshu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hanaoka
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Shinshu University School of Health Sciences, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan. Electronic address: keisaku@shinshu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Keisaku
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014797:Vital Capacity; D000070857:Walk Test / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Exercise test; Health status; Incremental shuttle walk test; Respiratory function tests