Assessment of cardiovascular fitness of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis using six minute walk test.

Abstract

AIM: Patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) tend to have limited exercise tolerance, with significant disability affecting their activities of daily living. The importance of exercise in the management of these patients has not been well investigated. This study was designed to assess the cardiovascular fitness of patients with pulmonary TB using the six-minute walk test (6-MWT). METHOD: 65 consenting TB patients were consecutively recruited into the study. The patients performed 6-MWT over a 30 meter course on a level walkway at a speed as fast as they could. Data were obtained regarding participants' physical characteristics, pre- and post-exercise blood pressure and heart rate, and maximum oxygen consumption. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics of mean, standard deviation, and paired t-test. RESULTS: The post walk test cardiovascular parameters were significantly higher than the resting cardiovascular parameters. The mean VO2 max and MET of the participants were 11.7±0.97 (ml O2/kg per min) and 3.35±0.28 (ml/kg) respectively. The mean 6-MWT distance for male and female participants were 502.0±43.0 m and 481.7±68.3 m, respectively. CONCLUSION: These results imply that the 6-MWT is capable of evoking a significant cardiovascular change among patients with pulmonary TB. The 6-MWT may be useful in the assessment of the functional capacity of patients with pulmonary TB.