Six-minute walk test in Chagas cardiomyopathy.

We studied systematically, for the first time, the utility of the six-minute walk test (6MWT) in Chagas disease. The walked distance at 6MWT correlated negatively with the increased circulating levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1, r=-0.358, p=0.04) and natriuretic peptide type B (BNP, r=-0.349, p=0.04), as well as positively with ejection fraction deterioration (r=0.451, p=0.004), indicating that submaximal functional capacity of chagasic patients is related to the severity of the cardiopathy. 6MWT may constitute an auxiliary tool in the evaluation of the clinical status of Chagas disease patients.