Six-Minute Walk Test in Renal Failure Patients: Representative Results, Performance Analysis and Perceived Dyspnea Predictors

Renal failure without the confounding effect of comorbidity is a significant negative predictor of performance at six-minute walk test and perceived level of dyspnea. Body fat mass and serum total iron binding capacity are the main potentially modifiable predictors of performance, total iron binding capacity being superior to C-reactive protein and albumin. Although hemoglobin is not associated with test performance, it negatively predicts perceived shortness of breath.