Table 1_Integrating wearable technology with the 6 minute walk test to evaluate COPD patients.docx

The 6 Minute Walk Test (6MWT) is a simple, cost-effective tool used to assess exercise capacity in COPD patients, but it provides only a single metric of functional performance and doesn't capture the complex physiological changes during exercise. This study aimed to investigate the use of a wearable cardiopulmonary exercise monitoring (WCEM) system with the 6MWT to comprehensively evaluate lung function and exercise capacity in COPD patients.</p>Methods<p>A clinical trial was conducted on 202 COPD patients, analyzing their baseline pulmonary function, 6MWD, and detailed cardiopulmonary exercise parameters.

Patients were stratified into groups based on disease severity and walk distance to identify significant differences in clinical and physiological profiles. A multi-dimensional predictive model for walk distance was also developed using logistic regression.</p>Results<p>The study found significant differences in 6MWD and pulmonary function between severe and non-severe COPD patients. Wearable cardiopulmonary parameters, especially carbon dioxide production (VCO2, L/min) and oxygen consumption per kilogram (VO2/kg, mL/min/kg), showed discriminatory ability for both COPD severity and walk distance.