The reliability of walking tests in people with claudication.

Objective: To contrast the reliability of the 6-min walking test (6MW) with that of the shuttle walking test (SWT) in patients with intermittent claudication attributable to peripheral obstructive arterial disease (POAD), and to examine the relationships of the walking tests, medical outcomes, and hemodynamic variables.

Design: Twenty-three patients were randomly assigned to perform both walking tests on two different occasions. Total distance walked (DW), time of pain onset (PO), and time of limiting claudicating symptom (TLS) were analyzed.