Potential for the six-minute walk test use in patients with atrial fibrillation

The six-minute walk test is an easy-to-perform, informative, and well-tolerated diagnostic method for patients with various diseases. It is most widely used for the assessment of pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases. It is used to assess physical performance and the effectiveness of treatment and medical rehabilitation (with serial assessments). Objective. To review the literature data on the role of the six-minute walk test in patients with various types of atrial fibrillation, including after surgical treatment of heart rhythm disorders. Materials and methods. The scientific papers available in the electronic databases PubMed, eLibrary, MedLine, Science Direct, and Research Gate were searched with search queries corresponding to the keywords of this article. Results. Currently, there are few studies on the use of the six-minute walk test in patients with atrial fibrillation. The studies generally evaluate the distance covered in 6 minutes and the heart rate before and after the test. This test is used in medical rehabilitation programs for patients after radiofrequency ablation of pulmonary veins. Conclusion. The relative safety of the six-minute walk test and reliability of the results, ease of use and good tolerability enable the use of the test in comorbid patients with a history of cardiovascular diseases. Further clinical studies are still relevant.