Reference Equations for the Six-Minute Walk in Healthy Adults

Abstract

In order to establish reference equations for prediction of the total distance walked during six minutes (6MWD) for healthy adults, we administered the standardized 6-min walk test to 117 healthy men and 173 healthy women, aged 40 to 80 yr. Oxygen saturation (SaO2), pulse rate, and the degree of dyspnea (Borg scale) were determined before and at the end of the walk. The median distance walked was 576 m for men and 494 m for women. The 6MWD was significantly less for men and women who were older and heavier, and for shorter men. The resulting gender-specific regression equations explained about 40% of the variance in the distance walked for healthy adults: for men, 6MWD = (7.57 x heightcm) - (5.02 x age) - (1.76 x weightkg) - 309 m, and for women, 6MWD = (2.11 x heightcm) - (2.29 x weightkg) - (5.78 x age) + 667 m. These reference equations may be used to compute the percent predicted 6MWD for individual adult patients performing the test for the first time, when using the standardized protocol.

Nutritional depletion and its relationship to respiratory impairment in patients with chronic respiratory failure due to COPD or restrictive thoracic diseases

“…Blood gas analysis (Rapidlab; Bayer Inc.; East Walpole, MA, USA) was performed in samples taken from the hyperaemic earlobe in the daytime during spontaneous breathing of room air or during the patient's usual oxygen supply. Exercise performance was assessed via 6 min walking distance (6-MWD), based on ATS guidelines (ATS, 2002), with reference values previously described (Enright and Sherrill, 1998). The levels of haemoglobin, C-reactive protein (CRP) and leukocytes were measured by standard procedures (Micros 60-CT, ABX Inc., Montpellier, France; Dimension Xpand, Dade Behring Inc., Schwalbach, Germany).…”

Patients hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia present reduced functional performance

“…6MWT is the most frequently used test of FC in patients with respiratory diseases because it has established reference values [14][15]18 and has been considered the best marker of inactivity in daily living for patients with COPD 19 . However, the GT has been suggested as being more appropriate to assess functional status in patients with COPD because while the 6MWT evaluates only a single isolated activity, the GT involves unsupported arm activities, rising from a chair, walking, and climbing stairs 20 .…”

“…On the first day, patients answered the Medical Research Council scale (MRC) 9 and Short-Form 36 questionnaire (SF-36) 10 , and their CRB-65 scores 11 were recorded. Subsequently, patients performed either a spirometry 12,13 or peripheral muscle strength (PMS) test, as well as either the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) 14,15 or the Glittre test (GT) 16 . On the second day, patients underwent the tests not performed on the previous day (spirometry or PMS and 6MWT or GT).…”

Estudo de correlação entre provas funcionais respiratórias e o teste de caminhada de seis minutos em pacientes portadores de doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica

“…Os resultados dos Tc6 apresentados em nosso trabalho vão ao encontro dos valores de referência para adultos saudáveis propostos por Enright e Sherrill (12) . Entretanto, temos que considerar que esses valores se referem a indivíduos saudáveis realizando o Tc6 sem o encorajamento verbal, por parte do avaliador.…”