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The correlation between 6-min walk test and respiratory parameters in children with cystic fibrosis
Zahra Roshanzamir1, Rohola Shirzadi2, Mohammadreza Modaresi1
1Pediatric Respiratory and Sleep Medicine Research Center, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Insights
The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) correlates with pulmonary function in children with cystic fibrosis (CF). This exercise test can aid in monitoring CF severity alongside traditional methods like spirometry.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Clinical Exercise Physiology
Background:
- The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is a widely used sub-maximal exercise test for assessing exercise capacity in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients.
- Limited research exists on the correlation between 6MWT and disease severity markers in pediatric CF populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and established markers of cystic fibrosis (CF) severity in children.
- To determine if 6MWT can serve as a valuable indicator of disease severity in pediatric CF.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study analyzed correlations between 6MWT, spirometry parameters (FEV1, FVC, FEF25-75%), body mass index (BMI), and chest tomography (CT) findings.
- The study included 76 pediatric patients with CF aged 7-14 years.
Main Results:
- Significant correlations were observed between 6MWT distance and spirometry parameters (FEV1, FVC, FEF25-75%), and between SpO2 decline during the test and pulmonary function.
- No significant correlations were found between 6MWT outcomes and body mass index (BMI) or chest tomography (CT) scores.
- FEF25-75% showed the strongest correlation with 6MWT distance (r=0.546, p<0.001).
Conclusions:
- The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) demonstrates significant correlations with pulmonary function tests in children with cystic fibrosis (CF).
- 6MWT can be a valuable tool for monitoring CF patients, complementing spirometry and chest CT.
- The findings support the utility of 6MWT as an accessible marker for assessing disease status in pediatric CF.
Background:
The 6-min walk test (6MWT) is a sub-maximal exercise test and has been widely used for evaluating of exercise capacity of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) in recent years. Few studies have examined the relationship between 6MWT and parameters used to assess the severity of the disease in children with CF. In this study, we have examined this relationship to find out if 6MWT can be a marker of the severity of cystic fibrosis.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was done to analyze the correlations among spirometry parameters, body mass index (BMI), chest tomography (CT), and 6MWT. CF patients, aged 7-14 years, were involved.
Results:
Seventy-six patients, 32F/44M, mean age 10.49 ± 3.18 years, were studied. The mean distance in 6MWT was 447 ± 84.1. The following correlations versus distance were found: FEV1 (r = 0.255, p = 0.026), FVC(r = 0.285, p = 0.013), FEF25-75% (r = 0.546, p < 0.001), BMI (r = 0.163, p = 0.160), and CT (r = 0.075, p = 0.520).The following correlations versus O2 saturation (SpO2) decline were found: FEV1 (r = -0.393, p < 0.001), FVC (r = -0.431, p < 0.001), FEF25-75% (r = -0.296, p = 0.010), BMI (r = 0.042, p = 0.721), and CT (r = -0.196, p = 0.090). There was a significant correlation between 6MWT (distance and SpO2 decline) and pulmonary function test. There was no significant correlation between BMI, chest CT, and 6MWT.
Conclusions:
6MWT can be applied beside spirometry and chest CT for CF patients follow up.
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