A 6-minute walk test distance <300 m predicted lower event-free survival compared to walking ≥300 m (62% vs 82%; P<0.0005) in patients with mild to moderate heart failure.
Cohort (n=214)
Absolute Event Rate: 62% vs 82%
p-value: p=<0.0005
AIM: The study was designed to evaluate the prognostic value of the 6-min walk test (6MWT) in patients with mild to moderate congestive heart failure (CHF). METHODS AND RESULTS: Two hundred and fourteen patients (119 men and 95 women, mean age 64 years) were followed for a mean period of 34 months to assess event-free survival (death, heart transplantation). Sixty-six patients (34%) died (63 cardiovascular causes, 2 cancer and 1 stroke) and five patients underwent heart transplantation. For patients who walked 450 m. With univariate analysis, NYHA class was the strongest predictor of death. LVEF (P<0.0001), aetiology of heart failure (P<0.001), LV filling pattern (P=0.002) and 6MWT distance (P<0.01) were all significantly related to survival. No significant relationship was found between survival, peak oxygen consumption or anaerobic threshold. Multivariate analysis using the Cox-stepwise regression model showed that LV fractional shortening (P<0.009) and 6MWT distance (P<0.0005) were the strongest prognostic markers. CONCLUSION: A 6MWT distance of <300 m is a simple and useful prognostic marker of subsequent cardiac death in unselected patients with mild to moderate CHF.
Rostagno et al. (Sun,) conducted a cohort in Mild to moderate congestive heart failure (CHF) (n=214). 6-minute walk test (6MWT) distance <300 m vs. 6MWT distance ≥300 m was evaluated on Event-free survival (death, heart transplantation) (p=<0.0005). A 6-minute walk test distance <300 m predicted lower event-free survival compared to walking ≥300 m (62% vs 82%; P<0.0005) in patients with mild to moderate heart failure.