Use of six-minute walking test to predict peak oxygen consumption in pulmonary vascular disease.

Abstract

In recent years, exercise capacity has received increasing attention due to its use as a prognostic tool and its association with functional status in patients with pulmonary vascular diseases. For this reason, both distance walked in the 6‐min walking test (6MWD) and VO2peak are included in the risk assessment table of the current clinical guidelines for PH. However, despite the validity of both tests, the CPET is the gold standard examination for assessing exercise capacity, even though it is an expensive test that requires a skilled operator and specialized equipment with limited availability.