Washington, May 17 : According to a recent study, a six-minute walking distance test (6MWD) can help in understanding the severity of disease in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The test effectively measures a patient''s ability to tolerate exercise and physical activity.

"We found that baseline 6MWD was predictive of hospital admission with an acute COPD exacerbation, was relatively stable in milder COPD, and has a steady rate of decline in patients with severe disease," said Martijn Spruit., scientific advisor and research leader at the Centre of Expertise for Chronic Organ Failure in Horn, Netherlands.

"This confirms prior observations that the results of the 6MWD are related to the risk of death in patients with COPD, and that the test is a useful tool in understanding disease severity in patients with COPD."

For three years, researchers observed 2,110 patients with moderate to severe COPD who underwent a supervised 6MWD at study enrolment to provide a baseline value. Their death and exacerbation-related hospitalisation records were noted.

During the three years of study, 200 patients died and 650 were hospitalised for exacerbations. It was also noticed that mortality rates and exacerbation-related hospitalisation were higher in COPD patients as baseline 6MWD decreased.

The findings will be presented at the ATS 2011 International Conference in Denver. (ANI)