Heart rate recovery after the 6-min walk test in people with bronchiectasis

The cardiac autonomic response to exercise and during recovery has been poorly explored in bronchiectasis.

A longitudinal study was conducted in adults with bronchiectasis. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected at baseline and after 12 months of follow-up. The heart rate recovery after the first (HRR₁) and second minute (HRR₂) of recovery in the six-min walk test (6MWT) was estimated in both assessments. Adjusted regression models were used to identify predictors of a delayed HRR₁ (HRR₁≤14).

104 participants with a mean±sd age of 64±13 years and mostly women (67%) were included. A delayed HRR₁ after the baseline 6MWT was identified in 36% of participants. These participants presented a higher proportion of males, increased body mass index, higher disease severity, more likely to require hospitalisation, more impact on quality of life, lower exercise capacity, lower heart rate at the end of the 6MWT and lower HRR₂. Disease severity (β, 95% CI) (moderate and severe versus mild, -0.47 (-0.94 to -0.01)) and distance walked (0.34 (0.11 to 0.56)) were the independent variables associated with HRR₁. Of the 45 participants who completed the entire follow-up period, 24% exhibited delayed HRR₁. The presence of at least two exacerbations during the follow-up period (OR 16.89, 95% CI 1.44 to 197.48) was the only predictor of a delayed HRR₁ in the assessment completed at the end of the study.

HRR₁ is related to disease severity and is mainly affected by having severe exacerbations in people with bronchiectasis.