Authors (including presenting author) :
Chung HHH(1), Wong SCL(1), Chau CKW(1), Li FKW(1), Lee SKW(1), Chan CMC(2), Lee MKY(2), Chan ACM(1)
Affiliation :
(1)Physiotherapy Department, Queen Elizabeth Hospital
(2)Department of Medicine, Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Introduction :
Congestive heart failure(CHF) was a chronic and progressive condition that greatly affects patient’s quality of life. Domiciliary physiotherapy(DPT) service targeted CHF patients with transport difficulties and functional limitations. The 6-minute walk test(6MWT) was a common test for evaluating exercise tolerance in CHF patients. However, the test might not be feasible in DPT service due to patient’s frailty and variable home environment. The timed up and go test(TUGT) was a rapid test for evaluating mobility, balance, and fall risk that required minimal equipment and space. Its validity was reported in an Australian study, however, it has not yet been studied in local context.
Objectives :
This study aimed to assess the validity of the TUGT in local CHF patients by comparing the TUGT and the 6MWT, and therefore to provide an alternative assessment for future DPT service.
Methodology :
It was a retrospective longitudinal study. Physiotherapy records of patients who enrolled in the Comprehensive Heart Failure Rehabilitation Program at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital from October 2022 to November 2024 were retrieved for analysis. On the first and tenth sessions of the program, both the TUGT and 6MWT were performed. Demographic information of patients was gathered for subgroup analysis. To achieve normality, TUGT data was logarithmically transformed. Scatter plots and Pearson correlation coefficient or Spearman rank correlation coefficient tests were used to analyse the correlations between the TUGT and 6-minute walk distance(6MWD). The best predictors of the TUGT(logarithmically transformed) were identified by multiple linear regression analysis. Data was analysed with IBM SPSS Statistics software.
Result & Outcome :
In this study, 112 patients with ages ranging from 32 to 89(mean 63.81+11.11) were included. A significant negative correlation was identified between the TUGT and 6MWD in CHF patients(r=-0.741; p<0.001), suggesting that a shorter TUGT time strongly associated with a longer 6MWD. Similar to the previous study conducted in Australia, 6MWD and age were recognized as the best predictors of the TUGT by the multivariate modelling(F(2, 221)=165.825; p<0.001; R2=0.596). The model equation for the transformed TUGT was logTUGT=1.046-(0.001x6MWD)+(0.003xAge). To conclude, TUGT was a valid and practical alternative test that could be applied to frail CHF patients under limited home environment to assess multiple aspects of their physical function with strong correlation with 6MWT.
