Heart 1998;80:377-382 ( October )

Reproducibility and responsiveness of quality of life assessment and six minute walk test in elderly heart failure patients

S T O'Keeffe, M Lye, C Donnellan, D N Carmichael

Department of Geriatric Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK

Correspondence to: Dr S T O'Keeffe, Department of Geriatric Medicine, St Michael's Hospital, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Republic of Ireland.

Accepted for publication 16 February 1998

ObjectiveTo examine the reproducibility and responsiveness to change of a six minute walk test and a quality of life measure in elderly patients with heart failure.
DesignLongitudinal within patient study.
Subjects60 patients with heart failure (mean age 82 years) attending a geriatric outpatient clinic, 45 of whom underwent a repeat assessment three to eight weeks later.
Main outcome measuresSubjects underwent a standardised six minute walk test and completed the chronic heart failure questionnaire (CHQ), a heart failure specific quality of life questionnaire. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated using a random effects one way analysis of variance as a measure of reproducibility. Guyatt's responsiveness coefficient and effect sizes were calculated as measures of responsiveness to change.
Results24 patients reported no major change in cardiac status, while seven had deteriorated and 14 had improved between the two clinic visits. Reproducibility was satisfactory (ICC > 0.75) for the six minute walk test, for the total CHQ score, and for the dyspnoea, fatigue, and emotion domains of the CHQ. Effect sizes for all measures were large (> 0.8), and responsiveness coefficients were very satisfactory (> 0.7). Effect sizes for detecting deterioration were greater than those for detecting improvement.
ConclusionsQuality of life assessment and a six minute walk test are reproducible and responsive measures of cardiac status in frail, very elderly patients with heart failure.

Keywords: six minute walk;  elderly people;  heart failure;  quality of life

---

© 1998 by Heart
CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Dorman, S, Jolley, C, Abernethy, A, Currow, D, Johnson, M, Farquhar, M, Griffiths, G, Peel, T, Moosavi, S, Byrne, A, Wilcock, A, Alloway, L, Bausewein, C, Higginson, I, Booth, S (2009). Researching breathlessness in palliative care: consensus statement of the National Cancer Research Institute Palliative Care Breathlessness Subgroup. Palliat Med 23: 213-227 [Abstract]  
• Ferreira, A., Garvey, C., Connors, G. L., Hilling, L., Rigler, J., Farrell, S., Cayou, C., Shariat, C., Collard, H. R. (2009). Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Interstitial Lung Disease: Benefits and Predictors of Response. Chest 135: 442-447 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Weder, W., Tutic, M., Lardinois, D., Jungraithmayr, W., Hillinger, S., Russi, E. W., Bloch, K. E. (2009). Persistent Benefit From Lung Volume Reduction Surgery in Patients With Homogeneous Emphysema. Ann. Thorac. Surg. 87: 229-237 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Sumukadas, D. MBBS MD, Witham, M. D. MBChB PhD, Struthers, A. D. MBChB MD, McMurdo, M. E.T. MBChB MD (2007). Effect of perindopril on physical function in elderly people with functional impairment: a randomized controlled trial. CMAJ 177: 867-874 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• van Tol, B. A.F., Huijsmans, R. J., Kroon, D. W., Schothorst, M., Kwakkel, G. (2006). Effects of exercise training on cardiac performance, exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with heart failure: A meta-analysis. Eur J Heart Fail 8: 841-850 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Passantino, A., Lagioia, R., Mastropasqua, F., Scrutinio, D. (2006). Short-Term Change in Distance Walked in 6 Min Is an Indicator of Outcome in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure in Clinical Practice. J Am Coll Cardiol 48: 99-105 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Chung, M. K., Shemanski, L., Sherman, D. G., Greene, H. L., Hogan, D. B., Kellen, J. C., Kim, S. G., Martin, L. W., Rosenberg, Y., Wyse, D. G., for the AFFIRM Investigators, (2005). Functional Status in Rate- Versus Rhythm-Control Strategies for Atrial Fibrillation: Results of the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-Up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) Functional Status Substudy. J Am Coll Cardiol 46: 1891-1899 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Bradley, T. D., Logan, A. G., Kimoff, R. J., Series, F., Morrison, D., Ferguson, K., Belenkie, I., Pfeifer, M., Fleetham, J., Hanly, P., Smilovitch, M., Tomlinson, G., Floras, J. S., the CANPAP Investigators, (2005). Continuous Positive Airway Pressure for Central Sleep Apnea and Heart Failure.. NEJM 353: 2025-2033 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Ingle, L., Shelton, R. J., Rigby, A. S., Nabb, S., Clark, A. L., Cleland, J. G.F. (2005). The reproducibility and sensitivity of the 6-min walk test in elderly patients with chronic heart failure. Eur Heart J 26: 1742-1751 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Olsson, L. G., Swedberg, K., Clark, A. L., Witte, K. K., Cleland, J. G.F. (2005). Six minute corridor walk test as an outcome measure for the assessment of treatment in randomized, blinded intervention trials of chronic heart failure: a systematic review. Eur Heart J 26: 778-793 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Faggiano, P., D'Aloia, A., Gualeni, A., Brentana, L., Cas, L. D. (2004). The 6 minute walking test in chronic heart failure: indications, interpretation and limitations from a review of the literature. Eur J Heart Fail 6: 687-691 [Full Text]  
• Baxter, A J, Spensley, A, Hildreth, A, Karimova, G, O'Connell, J E, Gray, C S (2002). {beta} Blockers in older persons with heart failure: tolerability and impact on quality of life. Heart 88: 611-614 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Hutcheon, S D, Gillespie, N D, Crombie, I K, Struthers, A D, McMurdo, M E T (2002). Perindopril improves six minute walking distance in older patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction: a randomised double blind placebo controlled trial. Heart 88: 373-377 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• (2002). ATS Statement: Guidelines for the Six-Minute Walk Test. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 166: 111-117 [Full Text]  
• Houghton, A. R., Harrison, M., Cowley, A. J., Hampton, J. R. (2002). Assessing exercise capacity, quality of life and haemodynamics in heart failure: do the tests tell us the same thing?. Eur J Heart Fail 4: 289-295 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Solway, S., Brooks, D., Lacasse, Y., Thomas, S. (2001). A Qualitative Systematic Overview of the Measurement Properties of Functional Walk Tests Used in the Cardiorespiratory Domain. Chest 119: 256-270 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• (1998). Symptom Assessment Tests Useful in Elderly Heart Failure Patients. Journal Watch Cardiology 1998: 2-2 [Full Text]