Six-Minute Walk Test as a Predictive Measure of Exercise Capacity in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes.
Eric Nolen-Doerr, Kent Crick, Chandan Saha and 5 others
PMID 31379471WHAT IT FOUND
In 18 adults with type 2 diabetes and depression, longer 6-minute walk distance was associated with higher predicted exercise capacity, but the sample was too small to confirm it as a validated substitute for graded testing.
Key findings
01Among the 18 participants who completed both tests at baseline, walk distance was significantly correlated with predicted VO2 max (r = .57; p = .014).
02At baseline, walk distance alone explained 45% of variability in predicted VO2 max, and with physical health score explained 66%; physical health score was not significant after adjusting for walk distance (p = .246).
03At post-intervention, predicted VO2 max was correlated with walk distance among 10 participants (r = .66; p = .037).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 18 participants were included in the analysis, so the results may not apply broadly to adults with type 2 diabetes. Participants were screened for a depression and diabetes exercise trial and had to be able to walk, so they may not represent all adults with type 2 diabetes. Exercise capacity was predicted from peak oxygen consumption and perceived exertion, not measured as an absolute maximum. The 6-minute walk test used a 25-foot course rather than the standard 30-meter course. The post-intervention analysis included only 10 participants, and the regression model did not reach significance. The small sample limited adjustment for medical and physical characteristics; only the SF-12 physical component score was used as a proxy for physical limitations. This was a secondary analysis of trial data gathered from one site.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the 6-minute walk test is validated for all adults with type 2 diabetes or that it can replace graded exercise testing. The correlation came from 18 selected participants in a secondary analysis, and the authors noted the small sample limits generalizability.