Skip Navigation


European Heart Journal Advance Access originally published online on February 21, 2007
European Heart Journal 2007 28(5):560-568; doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehl527
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Supplementary Data
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
28/5/560    most recent
ehl527v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
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 Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (3)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ingle, L.
Right arrow Articles by Clark, A. L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ingle, L.
Right arrow Articles by Clark, A. L.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The European Society of Cardiology 2007. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Prognostic value of the 6 min walk test and self-perceived symptom severity in older patients with chronic heart failure

Lee Ingle1, Alan S. Rigby2, Sean Carroll1, Ron Butterly1, Rod F. King1, Carlton B. Cooke1, John G.J.F. Cleland2 and Andrew L. Clark2,*

1 Carnegie Research Institute, Leeds Metropolitan University, Beckett's Park Campus, Leeds LS6 3QS, UK
2 Department of Academic Cardiology, University of Hull, Castle Hill Hospital, Cottingham Kingston-upon-Hull HU16 5JQ, UK

Received 3 October 2006; revised 7 December 2006; accepted 17 January 2007; online publish-ahead-of-print 21 February 2007.

* Corresponding author. Tel: 01482 624012; fax: 01482 624071. E-mail address: A.L.Clark{at}hull.ac.uk

Background The 6 min walk test (6-MWT) is a simple and popular test for evaluating functional status in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). However, the prognostic value of the 6-MWT in a large, representative sample of CHF patients, and in patients with different degrees of left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) remains unclear.

Methods and results Of an initial population of 1592 patients, 212 died representing a crude death rate of 13.3%. In surviving patients, the median time to follow-up period was 36.6 months [inter-quartile range (IQR) 28–45 months]. Five variables remained independent predictors of all-cause mortality; decreasing 6-MWT distance, self-perceived signs of breathlessness at night (SOBAN), beta-blocker usage, elevated log NT-proBNP, and reduced haemoglobin concentration. We also dichotomized our analysis by LVSD status (≤mild LVSD or >mild LVSD). For patients with >mild LVSD, 6-MWT remained an important prognostic indicator but not in patients with ≤mild LVSD.

Conclusion The 6-MWT is an important independent predictor of mortality in CHF patients, and this was especially evident in patients with >mild LVSD. The 6-MWT provides little prognostic utility in patients with ≤mild LVSD. While log NT-proBNP was the most potent independent predictor, an additive prognostic effect was evident with the additional selection of 6-MWT. Patients' self-perceived symptoms, especially SOBAN was an independent predictor of mortality in our patients.

Key Words: Chronic heart failure • Exercise • Prognosis • Survival


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.