Is the 1-Minute Sit-To-Stand Test a Good Tool to Evaluate Exertional Oxygen Desaturation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease?

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is frequently associated with exertional oxygen desaturation, which may be evaluated using the 6-minute walking test (6MWT). However, it is a time-consuming test. The 1-minute sit-to-stand test (1STST) is a simpler test, already used to evaluate the functional status. The aim of this study was to compare the 1STST to the 6MWT in the evaluation of exertional desaturation.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study including 30 stable COPD patients who performed the 6MWT and 1STST on the same day. Six-minute walking distance (6MWD), number of 1STST repetitions (1STSTr), and cardiorespiratory parameters were recorded.

Results: A significant correlation was found between the 6MWD and the number of 1STSTr (r = 0.54; p = 0.002). The minimum oxygen saturation (SpO₂) in both tests showed a good agreement (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) 0.81) and correlated strongly (r = 0.84; p < 0.001). Regarding oxygen desaturation, the total agreement between the tests was 73.3% with a fair Cohen´s kappa (κ = 0.38; p = 0.018), and 93.33% of observations were within the limits of agreement for both tests in the Bland-Altman analysis.

Conclusion: The 1STST seems to be a capable tool of detecting exercise-induced oxygen desaturation in COPD. Because it is a less time- and resources-consuming test, it may be applied during the outpatient clinic consultation to regularly evaluate the exercise capacity and exertional desaturation in COPD.