Article

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the change in the 6-minute walk test (6-MWT) distance
relative to changes in key functional capacity measures after 16 weeks of
exercise training in older patients (>/=65y) who have heart failure with
preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). DESIGN: Prospective, randomized,
single-blinded (by researchers to patient group) comparison of 2 groups of HFpEF
patients. SETTING: Hospital and clinic records; ambulatory outpatients.
PARTICIPANTS: Participants (N=47) randomly assigned to an attention control (AC)
(n=24) or exercise training (ET) (n=23) group. INTERVENTION: The ET group
performed cycling and walking at 50% to 70% of peak oxygen uptake (V o2peak)
intensity (3d/wk, 60min each session). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: V o2peak,
ventilatory threshold (VT), and 6-MWT distance were measured at baseline and
after the 16-week study period. RESULTS: At follow-up, the 6-MWT distance was
higher than at the baseline in both the ET (11%, P=.005) and AC (9%, P=.004)
groups. In contrast, V o2peak and VT values increased in the ET group (19% and
11%, respectively; P=.001), but decreased in the AC group at follow-up (2% and
0%, respectively). The change in V o2peak versus 6-MWT distance after training
was also not significantly correlated in the AC group (r=.01, P=.95) or in the ET
group (r=.13, P=.57). The change in 6-MWT distance and VT (an objective
submaximal exercise measure) was also not significantly correlated in the AC
group (r=.08, P=.74) or in the ET group (r=.16, P=.50). CONCLUSIONS: The results
of this study challenge the validity of using the 6-MWT as a serial measure of
exercise tolerance in elderly HFpEF patients and suggest that submaximal and peak
exercise should be determined objectively by VT and V o2peak in this patient
population.
CI - Copyright (c) 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS