Good repeatability ( for the 6MWT and ESWT ) and reproducibility ( for the 6MWT , 12-minute walk test , ISWT , ESWT , and incremental cycle ergometer test ) were reported by most studies assessing these tests , providing patients were familiarized with them beforeh and .
The 6MWT , ISWT , and particularly the ESWT were reported to be sensitive to therapeutic intervention .
Exercise tests are often used to evaluate the functional status of patients with COPD .
However , to the best of our knowledge , a comprehensive systematic comparison of these tests has not been performed .
We systematic ally review ed studies reporting the repeatability and /or reproducibility of these tests , and studies comparing their sensitivity to therapeutic intervention .
Use of 6-min and 12-min walking test for assessing the efficacy of formoterol in COPD.
Exercise tolerance is an important outcome measure in patients with COPD , mostly because there is evidence that exercise testing is superior to other functional measurements obtained at rest in demonstrating the positive effect of a specific intervention . We assessed the effect of a 5-day treatment with formoterol 12 microg twice daily on lung function , exercise capacity and dyspnea in 22 stable COPD patients , and compared 6-MWT with 12-MWT in evaluating formoterol efficacy . All subjects entered a crossover design . They underwent 6-MWT or 12-MWT in a r and omised order and soon after started the 5-day treatment . After a 3-day washout , patients who had first performed 6-MWT , underwent 12-MWT , and the contrary . Formoterol induced a progressively significant increase in pre-drug FEV1 and IC and also significant changes in these parameters 2 h after its inhalation at each test day . Moreover , it increased the walked distance by 53.6 m at the end of 6-MWT and 59.9 m at the end of 12-MWT . Formoterol also induced a significant change in Borg score for dyspnea caused by the 6-MWT when compared with the pre-treatment values , whereas it significantly changed dyspnea induced by 12-MWT only after the first dose . Our study not only strengthens the importance of walking tests as a useful tool for evaluating the impact of a bronchodilator on some COPD patient-centred outcomes , but also indicates that 6-MWT seems to be a more appropriate instrument than 12-MWT for assessing the exercise response to a bronchodilator in COPD
Good repeatability ( for the 6MWT and ESWT ) and reproducibility ( for the 6MWT , 12-minute walk test , ISWT , ESWT , and incremental cycle ergometer test ) were reported by most studies assessing these tests , providing patients were familiarized with them beforeh and .
The 6MWT , ISWT , and particularly the ESWT were reported to be sensitive to therapeutic intervention .
Exercise tests are often used to evaluate the functional status of patients with COPD .
However , to the best of our knowledge , a comprehensive systematic comparison of these tests has not been performed .
We systematic ally review ed studies reporting the repeatability and /or reproducibility of these tests , and studies comparing their sensitivity to therapeutic intervention .