[Six minute walk test in young native high altitude residents].

Abstract

Background: The 6-minute walk test is widely used and evaluates the functional capacity to perform sub-maximal exercise, its behavior in healthy young native hight-altitude resident is unknown.

Objective: To describe the behavior of the 6-minute walk test in healthy young native hight-altitude resident.

Material and methods: Analytical cross-sectional design. Consecutive subjects born and residents of the cities of La Paz and El Alto (Bolivia), both genders, without cardiopulmonary disease or physical limitation were studied. Their altitude, hematological, demographic and simple spirometry variables were informed. The differences were calculated with the t-test for independent or dependent groups according to the type of comparison. A p < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results: 110 subjects were studied, at an altitude of 3673 ± 250 meters above sea level, age 24 ± 5 years old, 67 (60.90%) were women. The hemoglobin was 15.20 ± 2.46 g/dL. Prior to the test in 37 (33.63%) subjects the partial oxygen saturation was < 92% (90.92 ± 0.92%), its correlation whit meters walked, r = - 0.244, p < 0.010. Total meters walked: 581 ± 35 (627.3 ± 52.88 sea level); with the reference equations from Enright PL: 542 ± 75 and Osses AR: 459 ± 104, both obtained at < 1000 meters above sea level. Vital signs were whitin normal limits.

Conclusion: Sub-maximal exercise capacity estimated with the six-minute walk test at high altitude is lower than that reported at sea level.Reference equations underestimated the meters walked at high altitude.