Undertaking a 6-minute walk test in patients with aortic stenosis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Using the 6-minute walk test to assess functional status of patients with moderate and severe aortic stenosis: a pilot study.
IRAS ID
268912
Contact name
Vassilios Vassiliou
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 6 days
Research summary
The aortic valve controls the flow of blood, as it leaves the heart and gets pumped to the body. Aortic stenosis (AS) is a disease where the opening of this valve becomes increasingly narrowed, restricting the amount of blood that can leave the heart. Patients can develop symptoms of dizziness, chest pain and an inability to exercise. The only cure is heart surgery to replace the valve, or a transcatheter aortic valve implantation (a less invasive procedure to implant a new valve within the original). AS is diagnosed and monitored through echocardiography (ultrasound scanning of the heart), which classes the disease as mild, moderate or severe. Surgery is recommended for patients who have severe disease and feel symptomatic. However, not all patients develop symptoms and many others are not aware of their symptoms due to a gradual decline in their health. Also, many symptoms are vague (e.g. tiredness), making it difficult to determine if they are caused by AS. This makes referring patients for surgery difficult, as it has to be done at the right time for the benefits to outweigh the risks. Therefore, the use of different tests to provide more information prior to surgery may be of real value in deciding a patient’s care plan. The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is a safe, quick, reproducible and validated exercise test, where patients walk around a set of cones spaced 10 metres apart. The aim is to walk as far as possible in 6 minutes. Testing the patients’ ability to exercise, along with relevant information from their echocardiogram, may be able to guide timing and requirement for surgery. It is anticipated that this study can demonstrate whether the 6MWT might need to become a standard part of assessing patients with AS, to determine the patient’s optimal care plan.
REC name
London - West London & GTAC Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/1800
Date of REC Opinion
25 Nov 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion