What Can be Learned in 6 Minutes? 6-Minute Walk Test Primer and Role in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Abstract

The 6-minute walk test is an easy to perform and practical test that has been used in the assessment of patients with a variety of cardiopulmonary diseases including pulmonary arterial hypertension. The correlation with maximal cardiac output renders the test an indirect measure of right ventricular function in patients with significant pulmonary arterial hypertension. The test has been employed in the majority of studies evaluating the efficacy of pulmonary arterial vasodilators. In addition, the distance walked has been demonstrated to correlate with prognosis. An understanding of the 6-minute walk test indications, logistics, limitations, and interpretation is important to the clinician utilizing this test to evaluate patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.