Six Minute Walk Test to assess functional capacity in chronic liver disease patients

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Alameri H, Sanai F, Dukhayil M, Azzam N, Al-Swat K, Hersi A, Abdo A.Six Minute Walk Test to assess functional capacity in chronic liver disease patients.World J Gastroenterol 2007 August;13(29):3996-4001Six Minute Walk Test to assess functional capacity in chronic liver disease patientsAlameri H, Sanai F, Dukhayil M, Azzam N, Al-Swat K, Hersi A, Abdo A.Unit of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine (38), King Saud University, PO Box: 2925, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia. hatem.alameri@...AIM: To examine the utility of Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT) in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). METHODS: Two hundred and fifty subjects between the ages of 18 and 80 (mean 47) years performed 6MWT and the Six Minute Walk Distance (6MWD) was measured. RESULTS: The subjects were categorized into four groups. Group A (n = 45) healthy subjects (control); group B (n = 49) chronic hepatitis B patients; group C (n = 54) chronic hepatitis C patients; group D (n = 98) liver cirrhosis patients. The four groups differed in terms of 6MWDs (P < 0.001). The longest distance walked was 421 +/- 47 m by group A, then group B (390 +/- 53 m), group C (357 +/- 72 m) and group D (306 +/- 111 m). The 6MWD correlated with age (r = -0.482, P < 0.01), hemoglobin (r = 0.373, P < 0.001) and albumin (r = 0.311, P < 0.001) levels. The Child-Pugh classification was negatively correlated with the 6MWD in cirrhosis (group D) patients (r = -0.328, P < 0.01). At the end of a 12 mo follow-up period, 15 of the 98 cirrhosis patients had died from disease complications. The 6MWD for the surviving cirrhotic patients was longer than for non-survivors (317 +/- 101 vs 245 +/- 145 m, P = 0.021; 95% CI 11-132). The 6MWD was found to be an independent predictor of survival (P = 0.024). CONCLUSION: 6MWT is a useful tool for assessing physical function in CLD patients. We suggest that 6MWD may serve as a prognostic indicator in patients with liver cirrhosis.

[Guest guest]

The 6MWD for the surviving cirrhotic patients was longer than for

non-survivors.

That sounds like a conclusion I could have made without the research……

;-)

Chaim Boermeester,

Israel

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of

Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2007

18:54

To:

Subject: Six Minute

Walk Test to assess functional capacity in chronic liver disease patients

Alameri H, Sanai F, Dukhayil M, Azzam N, Al-Swat K, Hersi A, Abdo A.Six

Minute Walk Test to assess functional capacity in chronic liver disease

patients.

World J Gastroenterol 2007 August;13(29):3996-4001

Six Minute Walk Test to assess functional

capacity in chronic liver disease patients

Alameri H, Sanai F, Dukhayil M, Azzam N, Al-Swat K, Hersi A, Abdo A.

Unit of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine (38), King

Saud University,

PO Box: 2925, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia.

hatem.alameri (AT) gmail (DOT) com

AIM: To examine the utility of Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT) in patients with

chronic liver disease (CLD). METHODS: Two hundred and fifty subjects between

the ages of 18 and 80 (mean 47) years performed 6MWT and the Six Minute Walk

Distance (6MWD) was measured. RESULTS: The subjects were categorized into four

groups. Group A (n = 45) healthy subjects (control); group B (n = 49) chronic

hepatitis B patients; group C (n = 54) chronic hepatitis C patients; group D (n

= 98) liver cirrhosis patients. The four groups differed in terms of 6MWDs (P

< 0.001). The longest distance walked was 421 +/- 47 m by group A, then group B

(390 +/- 53 m),

group C (357 +/- 72 m)

and group D (306 +/- 111 m).

The 6MWD correlated with age (r = -0.482, P < 0.01), hemoglobin (r = 0.373,

P < 0.001) and albumin (r = 0.311, P < 0.001) levels. The Child-Pugh

classification was negatively correlated with the 6MWD in cirrhosis (group D)

patients (r = -0.328, P < 0.01). At the end of a 12 mo follow-up period, 15

of the 98 cirrhosis patients had died from disease complications. The 6MWD for

the surviving cirrhotic patients was longer than for non-survivors (317 +/- 101

vs 245 +/- 145 m,

P = 0.021; 95% CI 11-132). The 6MWD was found to be an independent predictor of

survival (P = 0.024). CONCLUSION: 6MWT is a useful tool for assessing physical

function in CLD patients. We suggest that 6MWD may serve as a prognostic

indicator in patients with liver cirrhosis.

[Guest guest]

Chaim,

I read this article and came to the same conclusion too! As my

teenage daughter would say…duh!!!

Penny T (Australia)

The 6MWD for the surviving cirrhotic patients was longer

than for non-survivors.

That sounds like a conclusion I could have made without the

research…… ;-)

Chaim Boermeester, Israel

[Guest guest]

Penny,

I read the sectence at least ten times before posting the message. I

was sure I was reading it wrong. It probably is just a mistake in

wording. I can't figure out what they were trying to say though.

Regards,

Chaim Boermeester, Israel

>

> Chaim,

>

> I read this article and came to the same conclusion too! As my

teenage

> daughter would say.duh!!!

>

> Penny T (Australia)

[Guest guest]

Chaim,

I think what they are saying is that by mesuring your distance during a 6 minute walk test they can perdict your survival rate, but if they conducted 3 minute interviews with the same patients they could probable predict the same ones are going to die and do it twice as fast.

Ian

Penny,I read the sectence at least ten times before posting the message. I was sure I was reading it wrong. It probably is just a mistake in wording. I can't figure out what they were trying to say though.

Regards,Chaim Boermeester, Israel>> Chaim,> > I read this article and came to the same conclusion too! As my teenage> daughter would say.duh!!!> > Penny T (Australia)

-- Ian Cribb P.Eng.