Utility of the 6-Min Walk Test for Assessing Physical Performance in Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipients.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Physical performance capacity (PPC) of pediatric heart transplant (HT) recipients is reportedly low to normal, and longitudinal follow-up of these patients is recommended. However, no recommendation for a follow-up method is available. In this study, the correlation between the 6-min walk test (6MWT), various clinical parameters, and a physical performance test set was evaluated to develop a simple follow-up tool for PPC.

Methods

Fifteen pediatric HT patients and 392 historical controls were tested at a median age of 15.4 years. PPC was tested with a 6MWT and a physical performance test set consisting of six different components assessing muscle endurance, strength, speed, and flexibility.

Results

Controls outperformed recipients across all test domains exc

SUBMITTER: Maenpaa H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11745299 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature