Article

Although walk tests are frequently used in cardiac rehabilitation (CR),
no prior study has evaluated the capacity of these measures to predict peak
oxygen uptake during exercise testing ((Equation is included in full-text article.)O2peak).
This study evaluated the interrelationship of objective
measures of exercise performance (walk and exercise testing) among patients
entering CR as well as a novel measure of functional status assessment for use in CR. METHODS: Forty-nine patients (33 males) referred to an outpatient CR program
were evaluated with objective measures of ambulatory functional status (peak
oxygen uptake [(Equation is included in full-text article.)O2peak], 6-minute walk
test [6MWT], and 60-ft walk test [60ftWT]). RESULTS: All measures of functional
status were moderately to highly intercorrelated (r values from 0.50 to 0.88; P
values < .05). The relationship among measures differed by sex, but not by age or
diagnosis. Among men, results were generally consistent with the full sample.
Among women, the magnitude of correlations was generally lower and there was no
relationship between (Equation is included in full-text article.)O2peak and other
measures. CONCLUSIONS: Measures of functional status, including (Equation is
included in full-text article.)O2peak, 6MWT, and 60ftWT, were highly correlated
among CR patients, suggesting the plausibility of using them interchangeably to
fit the needs of the patient and testing environment. Among women, walk tests may
not be appropriate substitutes for (Equation is included in full-text article.)O2peak. Because of the brevity of the 60ftWT, it may be particularly
useful for measuring functional status in patients with greater symptoms and those with comorbidities limiting walking.

Langue : ANGLAIS