Can you roughly judge the cardiopulmonary function and exercise ability of the elderly through simple tests?
Recently, experts in related fields of Chinese Medical Association customized "Knowledge of China Experts on Clinical Application of 6-minute Walking Test for Elderly Patients", and evaluated the physical condition of the elderly through 6-minute walking test.
This is a feasible alternative for hospitals lacking professional equipment and personnel.
The Six-Minute Walking Test is a health test that everyone can take. Through a six-minute walk, one can judge one'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 and heart failure.
In 21, the American Heart Association and the European Heart Association listed the 6-minute walking test as a diagnostic test for heart failure. In 22, the American Thoracic Association issued relevant guidelines; Nowadays, the 6-minute walk test has been widely recognized by medical circles all over the world, and experts in China have written it into Knowledge.
The specific operation method of the 6-minute walking test is:
The patient walks as fast as possible for six minutes on a 3-meter-long flat road, and then measures the distance the patient walks in these six minutes. During the test, patients can choose the exercise intensity they can bear, and they can take a break or stop early. When the patient walks, the recorder should report it every 1 minute and observe whether the patient has any discomfort symptoms.
If patients feel dyspnea, chest tightness, chest pain and other symptoms during the test, or unstable gait, pale face, decreased blood pressure, dizziness, sweating, spasms of lower limbs, etc., they should immediately stop the test without any compulsion.
Finally, medical staff can judge the cardiopulmonary function of patients according to the length of walking distance. If the distance is shorter than 15 meters, it means severe cardiac insufficiency; If the distance is 15 meters to 425 meters, it is moderate cardiac insufficiency; When the distance is 426 meters to 55 meters, it is mild cardiac insufficiency. [1] The shorter the distance, the worse the heart function.
The 6-minute walking test is convenient and easy to operate, and it is suitable for most patients with heart disease, people who have undergone heart surgery and the elderly who are recovering, and can objectively reflect the current situation of the heart.
but there are two types of people who are not suitable for this test.
First, patients with unstable angina pectoris or myocardial infarction in the past month.
Unstable angina pectoris is between fatigue angina pectoris and acute myocardial infarction, which may occur without warning, so all 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 walking for a long distance, otherwise the myocardial infarction may suddenly recur during the test, which is life-threatening.
Secondly, people whose resting heart rate exceeds 12 beats per minute, or whose systolic blood pressure is higher than 18mmHg and diastolic blood pressure is higher than 1mmHg, are relatively unsuitable for this test, so as to avoid sudden increase of blood pressure and heart rate during walking, leading to fainting 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 Norwegian University of Science and Technology and other institutions have followed up 1,567 7-year-olds for five years, and finally found that the participants in the high-intensity interval training group have reduced the risk of all-cause death by 37% within five years. [2] Generally speaking, aerobic exercise is suitable for high-intensity exercise for the elderly, including brisk walking, swimming and square dancing.
in addition, the elderly should pay attention to the following points when exercising.
1. Exercise in moderation.
The body of the elderly is not as good as that of the young people, so it is not necessary to be too reluctant to exercise, depending on the feeling of your body. If you feel unwell, stop immediately.
2. Exercise should be gradual.
When the elderly begin to exercise, they can take a small amount of exercise first, and then gradually increase the amount of exercise. Don't do it overnight, lest the body can't bear it.
3. Warm up in advance for exercise.
Warm-up before exercise is beneficial to open the muscles and joints of the body and avoid strain during exercise.
4. Pay attention to exercise time.
The China Adult Physical Activity Guide suggests that the elderly should exercise 5-7 times a week, preferably 1 hour before and after meals, and 3 minutes each time.
Exercise is very 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 appropriateness and moderation, and interspersed with high-intensity exercise in low-intensity exercise is more conducive to health.
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