Heart failure & cardiomyopathiesSecondary analysis
Do repeat 6-minute walk tests provide clinically meaningful information in symptomatic heart failure?
- secondary analysis of the Sildenafil in Heart Failure (SilHF) trial
Authors' conclusion
We observed a small increase in 6MWD between repeat baseline tests, consistent with a modest learning effect that is unlikely to be clinically meaningful. Both initial 6MWTs showed similar significant correlations with other longitudinal patient-reported outcome measures. In symptomatic HFrEF with pulmonary hypertension, a single baseline 6MWT may be sufficient to assess functional capacity.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and evidence of pulmonary hypertensionpatients who performed 6MWTs at screening and at study inclusion
- Participants
- 69 patients
- Comparison
- Screening and inclusion distances were compared using a paired t-test
Primary result
6MWT distance
Difference
+11.3 m
95% CI 2.6–20.1
P = 0.012
As reported in the abstract
Further findings
Correlation with longitudinal patient-reported outcomes (KCCQ, EuroQoL-5D visual analogue scale) · 24 weeks
- the two baseline tests demonstrated very similar correlation coefficients with longitudinal patient-reported outcomes
Original publication
Do repeat 6-minute walk tests provide clinically meaningful information in symptomatic heart failure? ESC Heart Fail. Published 30 July 2026. doi:10.1093/eschf/xvag209
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it