Response to the six-minute walk test in children with cardiovascular risk

Introduction: Cardiovascular risk (CVR) is defined as the possibility of a subject suffering from cardiovascular disease within a certain period. Although the pathology appears in adult life, the physiopathological changes start to develop at an early age. Objective: To establish the relationship between cardiorespiratory capacity (CRC)and CVR in children with metabolic syndrome. Patients and Methods: We analyzed data corresponding to 42 children aged from 5 to 15 years who were seen at the Children’s Cardiology Unit of the Carlos Van Buren Hospital between 2015 and 2017. Each participant was categorized according to the Alustiza’s CVR score, which defines 3 levels of risk: low (0 to 6 points), medium (7 to 8 points) and high (9 or more points), which representing a greater probability of developing cardiovascular disease, and performed 6MWT. Results: The mean age of the children was 10.9 ± 2.7 years, body mass index (BMI) = 31.0 ± 4.6 kg/m2 (z-score 3.2 ± 0.7), percentage of theoretical distance walked = 75.2 ± 8.9, and percentage of heart rate reserve (HRR) = 31.0 ± 9.4. There was no statistical association between 6MWT and CVR. Conclusions: There is no relationship between the cardiorespiratory capacity and the CVR. The use of the 6MWT is questioned as an instrument to assess CVR in the population under study.