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 .
Respiratory rehabilitation, exercise capacity and quality of life in chronic airways disease in old age.
Respiratory rehabilitation improves exercise capacity and quality of life in younger patients but is untried in the aged . We aim ed to : ( a ) assess repeatability of the 6-minute walk test , factors affecting it and its relation to quality of life in elderly patients with chronic obstructive airways disease ( COAD ) ; ( b ) assess compliance of such patients with an intensive respiratory rehabilitation protocol ; ( c ) pilot the assessment of the effect of respiratory rehabilitation on the 6-minute walk test in these patients . Seventeen subjects with stable , symptomatic COAD were recruited , 15 ( six men ) , 70 - 89 ( mean 76 ) years , completed the study . Mean ( st and ard deviation ) 1-second forced expiratory volume ( FEV1 ) = 49 (5)% predicted . Six-minute walk tests were repeated single-blind , 2 - 10 days apart . Quality of life was measured using Guyatt respiratory question naire . Patients underwent 12 weeks incremental respiratory rehabilitation ( x4/day step-ups , unweighed arm raises , inflating balloons ) . Baseline 6-minute walk was repeatable and was correlated with the log Guyatt dyspnoea score ( r = 0.65 , p = 0.006 ) . In multiple regression neither age nor FEV1 predicted walk distance : body mass index , maximal expiratory mouth pressure ; calorie intake . Mean ( SEM ) 6-minute walk distance after-rehabilitation was greater than baseline ( p = 0.003 ) . Elderly patients with COAD tolerate intensive respiratory rehabilitation and a controlled , blinded study is needed
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 .