Physiological response to the Glittre-ADL test in elderly COPD patients

Abstract

Introduction: The Glittre-ADL (TGlittre) test was developed to assess functional capacity in a group of activities of daily living, but little is known about the physiological responses expected during its implementation. Objective: Evaluate the physiological responses induced by TGlittre in COPD patients and compare them with those induced by the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). Method: This is a cross-sectional study involving 15 elderly patients with COPD (70±6 years and predicted FEV₁ of 47±16%). The TGlittre and 6MWT were performed on two different days, evaluating heart rate, peripheral oxygen saturation and perceived exertion in the 1st, 4th and 6th minutes of the 6MWT and at the start, after each lap and the end of TGlittre. After the normality test (Shapiro-Wilks), the Wilcoxon test was applied to compare the functional tests, and Spearman’s correlation coefficient to assess the association between variables. Results: At the end of TGlittre, heart rate was faster than in the 6MWT (106.7±21.9 vs 96.4±16.2bpm, p = 0.02). The other physiological variables were similar at the end of both tests. Heart rate at the end of TGlittre correlated with the final heart rate in the 6MWT (r = 0.69; p = 0.002). Conclusion: TGlittre induced a faster heart rate than in the 6MWT, with increased metabolic demand, but with similar ventilatory responses.