0432: Six minute walk test: predictor of hospital readmission in patients with chronic heart failure

Abstract

Patients with chronic heart failure are frequently readmitted to the hospital due to disease progression. Although a shorter 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) is correlated with poor prognosis, 6MWD is not considered a clinical indicator for predicting hospital readmission. We investigated whether 6MWD predicted readmission due to heart failure in CHF patients. We enrolled 814 patients admitted to the therapeutic unit of chronic heart failure from 2006 to 2013 as follow: 6MWD <300 m (n=740), 300<6MWD<450 m (n=54) and 6MWD >450m (n=20). Clinical characteristics, 6MWD and readmission due to heart failure were evaluated. The mean of age was 63 years old, 65% males. The mean 6MWD in groups were 131.4, 349 and 512m respectively. 6MWD was shorter in read-mitted patients than non-readmitted patients and was a significant predictor of readmission (P<0.0001). 6MWD measured is a predictor of hospital readmission in CHF patients for clinical or echocardiographic cardiac decompensation (p=0.01). In systolic heart failure outpatients, 6MWD demonstrated utility as predictors for hospitalization for cardiac decompensation.