TY - JOUR

T1 - Factors associated with 6-min walk distance in severe asthma

T2 - A cross-sectional study

AU - Pitzner-Fabricius, Anders

AU - Clark, Vanessa L.

AU - Backer, Vibeke

AU - Gibson, Peter G.

AU - McDonald, Vanessa M.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors. Respirology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Background and objective: Exercise capacity is associated with health-related quality of life and symptom control in severe asthma. Thus, interventions targeting exercise capacity are likely to be beneficial. However, clinical and biological factors impacting exercise capacity in severe asthma are sparsely investigated. We aimed to describe the association of selected clinical and biological factors with 6-min walk distance (6MWD) in adults with severe asthma and investigate the impact of sex on these outcomes. Methods: A cross-sectional study in adults with severe asthma was conducted. Exercise capacity was measured by 6-min walk test, and association between 6MWD and predictors were evaluated using multiple linear regression. Results: A total of 137 patients (females, 85; median age, 59 years) were recruited. Overall, asthma control (−15.2 m, 95% CI −22.6 to −7.7; p = 0.0001) and BMI (−3.2 m, 95% CI −5.1 to −1.3; p = 0.001) were significantly associated with exercise capacity (adjusted variance, adj. R2 = 0.425). In females, 5-item Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ-5; p = 0.005) and BMI (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with 6MWD (adj. R2 = 0.423). In males, a 0.5-point increase in ACQ-5 was associated with a decrease in 6MWD by 10.2 m (95% CI −22.8 to 2.4; p = 0.11), but no clinical nor biological factors reached statistical significance (adj. R2 = 0.393). Conclusion: Asthma symptoms and BMI were associated with exercise capacity in the overall population. Optimizing these factors may enhance the ability of patients to improve their exercise capacity and gain the associated positive health outcomes, but further studies are warranted.

AB - Background and objective: Exercise capacity is associated with health-related quality of life and symptom control in severe asthma. Thus, interventions targeting exercise capacity are likely to be beneficial. However, clinical and biological factors impacting exercise capacity in severe asthma are sparsely investigated. We aimed to describe the association of selected clinical and biological factors with 6-min walk distance (6MWD) in adults with severe asthma and investigate the impact of sex on these outcomes. Methods: A cross-sectional study in adults with severe asthma was conducted. Exercise capacity was measured by 6-min walk test, and association between 6MWD and predictors were evaluated using multiple linear regression. Results: A total of 137 patients (females, 85; median age, 59 years) were recruited. Overall, asthma control (−15.2 m, 95% CI −22.6 to −7.7; p = 0.0001) and BMI (−3.2 m, 95% CI −5.1 to −1.3; p = 0.001) were significantly associated with exercise capacity (adjusted variance, adj. R2 = 0.425). In females, 5-item Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ-5; p = 0.005) and BMI (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with 6MWD (adj. R2 = 0.423). In males, a 0.5-point increase in ACQ-5 was associated with a decrease in 6MWD by 10.2 m (95% CI −22.8 to 2.4; p = 0.11), but no clinical nor biological factors reached statistical significance (adj. R2 = 0.393). Conclusion: Asthma symptoms and BMI were associated with exercise capacity in the overall population. Optimizing these factors may enhance the ability of patients to improve their exercise capacity and gain the associated positive health outcomes, but further studies are warranted.

KW - 6-min walk test

KW - BMI

KW - exercise capacity

KW - quality of life

KW - severe asthma

U2 - 10.1111/resp.14323

DO - 10.1111/resp.14323

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 35811337

AN - SCOPUS:85133678202

VL - 27

SP - 1025

EP - 1033

JO - Respirology

JF - Respirology

SN - 1323-7799

IS - 12

ER -