ERJ
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (7)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Deboeck, G.
Right arrow Articles by Naeije, R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Deboeck, G.
Right arrow Articles by Naeije, R.
Eur Respir J 2005; 26:667-672
Copyright ©ERS Journals Ltd 2005

Physiological response to the six-minute walk test in pulmonary arterial hypertension

G. Deboeck1, G. Niset2, J-L. Vachiery2, J-J. Moraine3 and R. Naeije1

1 Dept of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, 2 Dept of Cardiology, Erasme Hospital, and 3 Dept of Physiology, Institute of Sports and Physiotherapy, Free University of Brussels, Belgium.

CORRESPONDENCE: R. Naeije, Laboratory of Physiology, Erasmus Campus, CP 604, Route de Lennik 808, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium. Fax: 32 25554124. E-mail: rnaeije{at}ulb.ac.be

Keywords: Cardiopulmonary exercise test, exercise, oxygen consumption, pulmonary arterial hypertension, six-minute walk test

Received: March 17, 2005
Accepted June 17, 2005

The 6-min walk test (6MWT) is commonly used to evaluate exercise capacity in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, little is known about the corresponding metabolic stress as measured by cardiopulmonary exercise testing.

The present study, therefore, measured ventilatory variables and heart rate during the 6MWT and symptom-limited incremental maximal exercise testing in 20 patients with PAH.

The distance walked in 6 min was 450±22 m (mean±SE). During the 6MWT, ventilation, O2 consumption, CO2 production and heart rate increased during the first 3–4 min, and then remained stable. As compared with the maximum values measured during the cardiopulmonary exercise test, O2 consumption tended to be higher (14.2±0.6 versus 12.9±0.7 mL·kg–1·min–1), while maximum ventilation (46±3 versus 57±4 L·min–1), respiratory quotient (0.90±0.02 versus 1.15±0.02) and heart rate (119±4 versus 135±4 beats·min–1) remained lower.

In conclusion, patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension exercise at higher aerobic capacity and lower metabolic stress during the 6MWT than during a cardiopulmonary exercise test.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Eur Heart J SupplHome page
J.G. Coghlan and J. Davar
How should we assess right ventricular function in 2008?
Eur. Heart J. Suppl., December 1, 2007; 9(suppl_H): H22 - H28.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Eur Respir JHome page
F. Reichenberger, R. Voswinckel, B. Enke, M. Rutsch, E. El Fechtali, T. Schmehl, H. Olschewski, R. Schermuly, N. Weissmann, H. A. Ghofrani, et al.
Long-term treatment with sildenafil in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension
Eur. Respir. J., November 1, 2007; 30(5): 922 - 927.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
H. Matsuda, H. Ogino, K. Minatoya, H. Sasaki, N. Nakanishi, S. Kyotani, J. Kobayashi, T. Yagihara, and S. Kitamura
Long-term recovery of exercise ability after pulmonary endarterectomy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.
Ann. Thorac. Surg., October 1, 2006; 82(4): 1338 - 1343.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2005 by the European Respiratory Society.