Abstract

AIM: The aim of our study is to compare the applicability of 6-minute walking (6MWT) and stair climbing (SCT) tests, which are frequently used to assess exercise capacity, in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). MATERIAL AND METHOD: The investigation was a prospective, and cross-sectional study in which 37 moderate-to- severe COPD patients had been evaluated. The demographic characteristics (age, height, weight, body-mass index, gender, educational status), medical history (family history, medication, srnoking habits, disease stage), and respiratory symptoms (cough, dyspnea, expectoration) of the patients were recorded. Within the same day, pulmonary functions were measured by spirometry and exercise capacities of the patients were assessed with 6MWT and SCT giving two hours rest between tests. The dyspnea and leg fatigue severities were recorded using modified Borg scale. FINDINGS: The mean 6-minute walking distance and the number of the climbed stairs in one minute were found as 542.43 ± 70.14 m and 59.77±8.54 /minute, respectively. It has been determined that results of the two exercise tests were correlated with each other (r=0.48-0.58, p<0.05), decrease in peripheral oxygen saturation after SCT was significant (p=0.01) and increase in dyspnea (p= 0.001) and leg fatigue (p= 0.001) severities were higher after SCT comparing to 6MWT. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that stair climbing test could be applicable as a submaximal exercise test such as 6-minute walking test in nıoderate-to-severe COPD patients. In addition, SCT is as an inexpensive, safe, and practical application such as 6MWT. These characteristics also support the use of SCT in routine follow up of the COPD patients.