The Six Minute-Walk Test is it the Most Effective Way to Follow an Overlap Syndrome?

Prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery (CABG). A Pilot Study

Background: When obesity is associated to tobacco smoking which is now by far the largest preventable cause of death in the industrialized world, pulmonary damages seem to be majored. So what is the most effective way to follow up patients with overlap syndrome? Methods: It is a case report of a patient treated for an OSAS but without an improvement. So for his resistant dyspnoea respiratory functional tests with a six minute walking test (6-WT) were indicated. A COPD was diagnosed and treated. The patient was followed by a medical questionnaire, measuring his respiratory function and a 6-WT. Results: The medical questionnaire and the pulmonary function don’t show a significant improvement, but a significant improvement in the walking distance at the 6-WT is noted. Conclusion: 6-WT can be considered as an objective and useful test for monitoring patients with an “overlap syndrome”.