Abstract
BACKGROUND: Physical performance capacity (PPC) of pediatric heart transplant (HT) recipients is reportedly low to normal, and longitudinal follow-up of these patients is recommended. However, no recommendation for a follow-up method is available. In this study, the correlation between the 6-min walk test (6MWT), various clinical parameters, and a physical performance test set was evaluated to develop a simple follow-up tool for PPC. METHODS: Fifteen pediatric HT patients and 392 historical controls were tested at a median age of 15.4 years. PPC was tested with a 6MWT and a physical performance test set consisting of six different components assessing muscle endurance, strength, speed, and flexibility. RESULTS: Controls outperformed recipients across all test domains except the leg lift and sit-and-reach test. The 6MWT distance correlated well with the physical performance test set results; the correlations were with leg lift (r(s) = 0.622, p = <0.05), repeated squatting (r(s) = 0.851, p = <0.001, sit-up (r(s) = 0.738, p = <0.05), back extension (r(s) = 0.747, p ≤ 0.001), and total physical performance capacity (r(s) = 0.873, p = <0.001). Indexed 6MWT results or total physical performance capacity set had no statistically significant associations with any of the clinical parameters tested. CONCLUSION: Our study supports recent findings suggesting that the 6MWT is a suitable method for longitudinal follow-up in children with HT. We recommend performing the 6MWT annually in these patients, to be used to motivate and encourage them to enhance their physical activity.