6 Minute Walk Test

Physiotherapy

6 Minute walk test (6MWT)

measures the distance that a
patient can quickly walk on a flat,
hard surface in a period of 6
minutes. It evaluates the global
and integrated responses of all
the systems involved during
exercise, including the pulmonary
and cardiovascular systems,
systemic circulation,
neuromuscular units, and muscle
metabolism.

6MWT helps in,

measuring the response to medical
interventions in patients with moderate to
severe heart or lung disease
one-time measurement of functional
status of patients

Indication
Pretreatment and post treatment
comparisons,
Lung transplantation
Lung resection
Lung volume reduction surgery
Pulmonary rehabilitation
COPD
Pulmonary hypertension Heart
failure

Functional status (single

measurement)
COPD
Cystic fibrosis
Heart failure
Peripheral vascular disease
Fibromyalgia
Older patients

Predictor of morbidity and mortality

Heart failure
COPD
Primary pulmonary hypertension

The 6MWT does not,

determine peak oxygen uptake
diagnose the cause of dyspnea on exertion
Or
evaluate the causes or mechanisms of
exercise limitation

CONTRAINDICATION
Unstable angina
Myocardial infarction during the previous
month
A resting heart rate of more than 120
A systolic blood pressure of more than 180
mm Hg
A diastolic blood pressure of more than
100 mm Hg

Reasons for immediately stopping a 6MWT,

1) chest pain
(2) intolerable dyspnea
(3) leg cramps
(4) staggering
(5) diaphoresis
(6) pale or ashen appearance.

Sampletest:
Vitals

Pre-test

Post test

Blood pressure
Heart rate
Respiratory
rate
Saturation

140/80mmhg
97bpm
21cpm

160/90mmhg
115bpm
32cpm

96%

95%

Dyspnea

Formulausedtocalculatethepredicteddistance
6MWD=218+(5.14*_Ht(cms)5.32*_Age)1.80*__Wt(kg)+
5.31*__(Gender)

Reliabilityandvalidity
The6MWTisaneasy,inexpensive,reliableandvalidtestinadults
andseniorswithID.Familiarizationisnecessarytoobtainreliable
values.RelativeVO2peakandlegstrengthhavesignificantimpacton
thedistancewalked.ResDevDisabil.2015Dec;47:14453.doi:
10.1016/j.ridd.2015.09.011.Epub2015Sep29.
Despiteanintensitysignificantlylowerbutclosetothatofthe
symptomlimitedexercisetest,the6MWTwaswelltoleratedinboth
CHFgroups.Inthesepopulations,the6MWTisreliableonadaily
basis,forthedistancewalked.However,forassessingVO2andheart
ratevaluesinCHFDpatients,the6MWTmustalwaysbeperformed
atthesametimeofday.ArchPhysMedRehabil.2004Sep;85(9):1513
8.

Reference
ATSStatement:GuidelinesfortheSix
MinuteWalkTest
The6MWTisaneasy,inexpensive,reliable
andvalidtestinadultsandseniorswith
ischemicdisease.Familiarizationisnecessary
toobtainreliablevalues.RelativeVO2peak
andlegstrengthhavesignificantimpactonthe
distancewalked.