Effects of Maximally Tolerated Oral Therapy on the Six-Minute Walking Test in Patients With Chronic Congestive Heart Failure Secondary to Either Ischemic or Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Abstract

In patients with heart failure, therapy with "maximally tolerated" oral doses of diuretics, vasodilators, and digitalis results in a significant increase in the distance walked during the 6-minute walking test, compared with conventional therapy at "standard" doses, indicating an improvement in exercise tolerance. The 6-minute walk test is a simple, inexpensive, and well-tolerated test to measure changes in exercise tolerance induced by pharmacologic interventions, even on a short-term basis.