Objective: To evaluate six-minute walking test (6-MWT) in treatment of CHF and to investigate the effect of exercise training on blood leucocyte and its components and plasma TNF alpha in CHF patients.
Methods: 60 cases with NYHA II-III CHF patients underwent 6-MWT within 24 hours after hospitalization. The walking distance, heartbeat, plasma TNF alpha, and blood leucocyte and its components were investigated before and after walking test. These patients were then randomized into two groups, a training group (32 cases) and a control group (28 cases). Besides routine medication, 6-MWT was performed in the training group twice a day for 8 weeks. The same parameters were redetermined after 8 weeks of follow-up. 23 cases with NYHA IV CHF patients were investigated with the same parameters in the first day after hospitalization.
Results: Blood leucocyte count and percentage of granulocytes and mononuclears in cases with NYHA III-IV were significantly higher than those with NYHA II. There were significant reduction of heartbeat and prolongation of walking distance in CHF patients after exercise training. Blood leucocyte count and the percentage of granulocytes and mononuclear and plasma TNFalpha level were reduced more in the training group than the control group after 8 weeks the treatment.
Conclusions: There is significantly higher leucocyte count and percentage of granulocytes and mononuclears in CHF with NYHA III-IV than those with NYHA II. 6-MWT, as an exercise training, is simple, safe, and not harmful. It can not only evaluate the severity of CHF but also serve as a therapeutic measure for CHF. Moreover the excessive activation of cytokines as TNFalpha could be reduced by 6-MWT training in CHF patients.