A simple semipaced 3-minute chair rise test for routine exercise tolerance testing in COPD

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Functional work capacity in COPD patients is typically assessed using walk tests like the 6-minute walk test (6MWT).
• Existing walk tests require controlled environments, limiting their accessibility for pulmonologists and general practitioners.
• Short sit-to-stand tests have been proposed as alternatives, but a standardized, longer duration test was needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel semipaced 3-minute chair rise test (3CRT) in COPD patients.
• To compare the reproducibility of physiological responses and symptoms during the 3CRT with the 6MWT.
• To assess the interchangeability of the 3CRT with the 6MWT for evaluating exercise capacity and disability.

Main Methods:

• Forty patients with COPD participated in the study.
• The semipaced 3-minute chair rise test (3CRT) was administered.
• Physiological variables (heart rate, oxygen saturation, work done) and symptoms (Borg dyspnea and fatigue scores) were measured during the 3CRT.
• Reproducibility and interchangeability with the 6MWT were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Physiological variables and symptom scores during the 3CRT demonstrated high reproducibility.
• The 3CRT yielded physiological responses and symptom scores that were interchangeable with the 6MWT for most patients.
• Patients performing over 50 rises in 3 minutes showed no significant disability.

Conclusions:

• The 3CRT is a highly reproducible and interchangeable test for assessing exercise capacity in COPD patients.
• Its simplicity and ease of execution facilitate its use in routine clinical consultations.
• The 3CRT can improve the assessment of exercise symptoms and disability, contributing to better COPD management.