Recently, experts in related fields of Chinese Medical Association customized "China experts' knowledge about the clinical application of 6-minute walking test for elderly patients" to evaluate the physical condition of the elderly through the 6-minute walking test.
This is a feasible alternative for hospitals lacking professional equipment and personnel.
The "6-minute walking test" is a health test that everyone can do. Through a 6-minute walk, you can judge a person's heart and exercise health and evaluate the exercise endurance of patients with heart failure. Its advantages are that it can be performed by anyone without special equipment and venue, and it is non-invasive, simple and safe, and can evaluate a series of cardiopulmonary diseases including coronary heart disease, pulmonary hypertension, heart failure and so on.
In 200 1 year, the American Heart Association and the European Heart Association listed the 6-minute walking test as a diagnostic test for heart failure. In 2002, the American Thoracic Association issued relevant guidelines; Nowadays, the 6-minute walking test has been widely recognized by the medical community all over the world, and experts in China have also written it into their knowledge.
The specific operation method of the 6-minute walking test is:
The patient walked as fast as possible on a 30-meter-long flat road for 6 minutes, and then measured the distance the patient walked in these 6 minutes. During the test, patients can choose the exercise intensity they can bear, rest or stop early. When the patient walks, the recorder should report once every 1 minute to observe whether the patient has any discomfort symptoms.
If patients feel dyspnea, chest tightness, chest pain and other symptoms, or gait instability, pale face, blood pressure drop, dizziness, sweating, lower limb spasm, etc. They should stop the test immediately, don't force it.
Finally, medical staff can judge the patient's cardiopulmonary function according to the length of walking distance. If the distance is shorter than 150m, the cardiac insufficiency is serious; If the distance is 150m ~ 425m, it is moderate cardiac insufficiency; When the distance is 426 meters to 550 meters, it is mild cardiac insufficiency. [1] The shorter the distance, the worse the heart function.
The 6-minute walking test is convenient and quick, which is suitable for most patients with heart disease, people recovering after heart surgery and the elderly with decreased heart function, and can objectively reflect the current situation of the heart.
But there are two types of people who are not suitable for this test.
1. Patients with unstable angina pectoris or myocardial infarction in recent 1 month.
Unstable angina pectoris is between fatigue angina pectoris and acute myocardial infarction, which may occur without warning, so various forms of exercise and fatigue should be avoided. Patients with myocardial infarction need to keep quiet after hospitalization and must avoid overwork. It is not suitable for this kind of long-distance walking, otherwise the myocardial infarction may suddenly recur and endanger life during the exam.
Second, people whose resting heart rate exceeds 120 beats per minute, or whose systolic blood pressure is higher than 180mmHg, and whose diastolic blood pressure is higher than 100mmHg, are relatively unsuitable for this test, so as to avoid sudden increase of blood pressure and heart rate when walking, leading to syncope and shock. If you want to test, you must be accompanied by professional medical staff.
For the elderly, exercise is also one of the important ways to improve their health, but taking different intensities of exercise has different effects on their health.
According to a study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), high intensity may reduce the risk of death of the elderly and improve their health.
Researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and other institutions, through the five-year follow-up of 1567 70-year-olds, finally found that the participants in the high-intensity interval training group reduced the risk of all-cause death by 37% within five years. [2] Generally speaking, aerobic exercise is suitable for the elderly to carry out high-intensity exercise, including brisk walking, swimming and square dancing.
In addition, the elderly should pay attention to the following precautions when exercising.
1. Exercise moderately.
Old people's health is not as good as young people's, so you don't need to exercise too reluctantly. It depends on how you feel. If you feel unwell, you should stop at once.
2. Exercise should be gradual.
When the elderly begin to exercise, they can do a little exercise first, and then gradually increase the amount of exercise. Don't do it overnight, lest your body can't bear it.
3. Exercise should be warmed up in advance.
Warm-up before exercise is conducive to opening the muscles and joints of the body and avoiding strain during exercise.
4. Pay attention to exercise time.
"China Adult Physical Activity Guide" suggests that the elderly should exercise 5~7 times a week, preferably before and after meals 1 hour, each time for 30 minutes.
Exercise is beneficial to the health of the elderly, and walking can also measure the heart function of the elderly. However, it should be noted that the exercise of the elderly must follow the principle of moderation, and interspersed with high-intensity exercise in low-intensity exercise is more conducive to health.
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