Two-Minute Walk Test After an Acute Myocardial Infarction: Feasible and Useful?

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a common, life-threatening condition requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment.^, Patients who survive an AMI must receive the best evidence-based care to improve survival and reduce recurrent cardiovascular events. Studies have shown patients with AMI and reduced exercise capacity have a worse prognosis than those with preserved functional capacity.

Exercise capacity can be assessed using cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) or, alternatively, the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). Unlike the CPET, the 6MWT is simple and does not require complex equipment or specialized technical skills. During this simple and safe test, patients are instructed to walk as far as possible along a 30-meter corridor for 6 minutes. The primary measurement is the distance walked in those 6 minutes, recorded in meters. While the 6MWT is a well-established test, it is time-consuming and can be challenging for severely impaired individuals. The 2-minute walk test (2MWT) may be an alternative for assessing functional capacity in frail or ill patients and has been evaluated in several scenarios ().^–

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