Validation of a walk test protocol for the evaluation of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension / Validação de um protocolo em esteira para pacientes com hipertensão arterial pulmonar

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2008

RESUMO

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a disease affecting the pulmonary arterial territory leading to progressive functional impairment and heart failure. Many different surrogate markers have been studied to evaluate PAH patients under the different treatment strategies that have been developed during the last decade. Among these markers, the six-minute walk test is the most used one. Although simple, many limitations exist mainly related to the need of appropriate physical area to perform the test properly. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a treadmill six-minute walk test for PAH patients evaluation. The developed protocol well correlated with other markers of disease severity as invasive hemodynamic data, functional class and even the distance walk at the hallway six minute walk test. Furthermore, the treadmill walked distance was associated to survival thus strengthening its ability to reflect disease severity. Nitric oxide (NO) inhalation during the treadmill walk test led to a variation in the walked distance proportional to the hemodynamic changes induced by the same dose of inhaled NO, suggesting that the developed protocol may be able to reflect at least acute therapeutical interventions. We conclude that the treadmill six minute walk test is a useful prognostic and functional marker for the routine evaluation of PAH patients.

ASSUNTO(S)

exercise hemodinâmica hipertensão pulmonar sobrevida caminhada walking test teste de exercício pulmonary hypertension survivorship (public health) nitric oxide hemodynamics Óxido nítrico

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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