Qualitative analysis indicated moderate evidence for repeatability of the 6MWT in patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation , for a 2 % to 8 % learning effect between repeated 6MWTs , for a relationship between peak heart rate during the 6MWT and during cycle exercise at the ventilatory threshold , and for moderate-to-high correlation between the 6-minute walk distance and maximum metabolic equivalents achieved on symptom-limited exercise tests .
Strong evidence suggests that the 6MWT is responsive to clinical change following cardiac rehabilitation .
BACKGROUND The  6-minute walk test ( 6MWT ) is a common outcome measurement in cardiac rehabilitation .
However , a search of the literature found no established guidelines for use of the 6MWT in cardiac rehabilitation .
OBJECTIVES Systematic review of the validity , reliability and responsiveness of the 6MWT in cardiac rehabilitation .
The 200-m Fast-Walk Test Compared with the 6-min Walk Test and the Maximal Cardiopulmonary Test: A Pilot Study
Gremeaux V , Deley G , Duclay J , Antoine D , Hannequin A , Casillas JM : The 200-m fast-walk test compared with the 6-min walk test and the maximal cardiopulmonary test : A pilot study . Objective : The 200-m fast-walk test has been proposed as a high- intensity performance test in healthy , elderly subjects . Adaptation of low-risk coronary artery disease patients during this test were compared with those in a 6-min walk test and a maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test . Design : Thirty patients with stable coronary artery disease ( 51.9 ± 8.7 yrs ) , referred to the cardiac rehabilitation department , performed a cardiopulmonary exercise test , then a 200-m fast-walk test and a 6-min walk test in a r and om order , before and after the training period ( 6 wks , 3 days per week ) . Heart rate was monitored during each test . Peak workload of cardiopulmonary exercise test , distance walked on the 6-min walk test , and time to perform the 200-m fast-walk test were measured . A sub sample of ten patients performed the exercise test with gas exchange measurements , with ventilatory threshold determination . Results : All subjects completed walk tests without complaint or incidents . Compared with the cardiopulmonary exercise test , the cardiac relative intensity was higher during the 200-m fast-walk test than during the 6-min walk test , both before ( 89.6 % vs. 78.1 % of cardiopulmonary exercise test maximal heart rate ; P < 0.05 ) and after ( 83.8 % vs. 74.3 % ; P < 0.05 ) training . Among the sub sample of ten patients , the 200-m fast-walk test heart rate was significantly higher than the ventilatory threshold heart rate , which did not differ from the 6-min walk test heart rate . The 200-m fast-walk test time significantly decreased after training ( −9.1 % , P < 0.01 ) . Conclusion : In patients with coronary artery disease at low risk , the 200-m fast-walk test explores higher levels of cardiorespiratory capacity than the 6-min walk test . Thus , this could be a useful field test in complement to the cardiopulmonary exercise test to assess functional capacity improvement and up date training targets regularly during the course of high-intensity rehabilitation programs in this population
Qualitative analysis indicated moderate evidence for repeatability of the 6MWT in patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation , for a 2 % to 8 % learning effect between repeated 6MWTs , for a relationship between peak heart rate during the 6MWT and during cycle exercise at the ventilatory threshold , and for moderate-to-high correlation between the 6-minute walk distance and maximum metabolic equivalents achieved on symptom-limited exercise tests .
Strong evidence suggests that the 6MWT is responsive to clinical change following cardiac rehabilitation .
BACKGROUND The  6-minute walk test ( 6MWT ) is a common outcome measurement in cardiac rehabilitation .
However , a search of the literature found no established guidelines for use of the 6MWT in cardiac rehabilitation .
OBJECTIVES Systematic review of the validity , reliability and responsiveness of the 6MWT in cardiac rehabilitation .