Evaluation of the six-minute walk test in patients with chronic heart failure associated with Chagas' disease and systemic arterial hypertension

Introduction: To evaluate physical capacity as determined by the six-minute walk test (6MWT) in patients with chronic heart failure due to Chagas' disease associated with systemic arterial hypertension (Chagas-SAH). Methods: A total of 98 patients routinely followed at the Cardiomyopathy Outpatient Service were recruited. Of these, 60 (61%) were diagnosed with Chagas disease and 38 (39%) with Chagas-SAH. Results: The distance walked during 6 min was 357.9 +/- 98 m for Chagas-SAH patients and 395.8 +/- 121m for Chagas cardiomyopathy patients (p > 0.05). In patients with Chagas-SAH, a negative correlation occurred between the 6MWT and the total score of the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (r = -0.51; p=0.001). No other correlations were determined between 6MWT values and continuous variables in patients with Chagas-SAH. Conclusions: The results of the 6MWT in Chagas-SAH patients are similar to those verified in Chagas cardiomyopathy patients with chronic heart failure. Coexistence of SAH does not seem to affect the functional capacity of Chagas cardiomyopathy patients with chronic heart failure.