RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 6-minute walk distance is an independent predictor of mortality in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP 1421 OP 1429 DO 10.1183/09031936.00131813 VO 43 IS 5 A1 Roland M. du Bois A1 Carlo Albera A1 Williamson Z. Bradford A1 Ulrich Costabel A1 Jonathan A. Leff A1 Paul W. Noble A1 Steven A. Sahn A1 Dominique Valeyre A1 Derek Weycker A1 Talmadge E. King, Jr YR 2014 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/43/5/1421.abstract AB 6-min walk distance (6MWD) has recently been shown to be associated with the risk of mortality in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF); however, the independent contribution of 6MWD to the prediction of mortality risk has not been evaluated in a large, well-defined population of patients with IPF. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to characterise the relationship between risk factors of interest and all-cause mortality in IPF patients who completed a week 24 study visit in a clinical trial evaluating interferon γ-1b (n=748). Risk factors of interest included the independent predictors of mortality in the previously published clinical prediction model together with 6MWD and 24-week change in 6MWD. Baseline 6MWD <250 m was associated with a two-fold increase in the risk of mortality (hazard ratio 2.12, 95% CI 1.15–3.92) and a 24-week decline in 6MWD >50 m was associated with a nearly three-fold increase in mortality risk (hazard ratio 2.73; 95% CI 1.60–4.66). Inclusion of 6MWD data improved model discrimination compared with the original model (C-statistic 0.80 (95% CI 0.76–0.85) versus 0.75 (0.71–0.79)). Both 6MWD and change in 6MWD are independent predictors of mortality in patients with IPF. The addition of 6MWD to the clinical prediction model improves model discrimination compared with the original model. 6MWD indices independently predict mortality in IPF and improve performance of previous clinical prediction model http://ow.ly/tDdmP