Corresponding author. 176 Furlong Road, St Albans, 3021, Australia.; Department of Anaesthesia, The Royal Women's Hospital, Corner Grattan St & Flemington Rd, Parkville, 3052, Australia
Alicia T. Dennis
Department of Anaesthesia, The Royal Women's Hospital, Corner Grattan St & Flemington Rd, Parkville, 3052, Australia
Objectives: The Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT) assesses functional capacity. We determined the reference range distance walked, heart rate change, and breathlessness in healthy women. Design: Prospective observational study. Methods: 100 nulliparous women aged 18–40 performed two 6MWTs, with the second performed after heart rate returned to baseline. Borg scales compared expected and true breathlessness. Results: Reference range was 472–758 m, with distance mean (SD) of 615 (73.0) metres. Heart rate increase during exercise was 11 (11.8) beats per minute, recovering to baseline in 4.5 (3.9) minutes. 63 % of women overestimated breathlessness. Conclusions: These data represent reference values for functional evaluation of healthy young women.
