Assessment of a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program Based on the Borg RPE Scale by Six-minute Walk Test: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Aims: The ability of cardiac rehabilitation to reduce mortality in those with cardiovascular disease is well established. Despite its widespread use in the clinical setting, the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale is yet to be validated for its ability to lead to improvements in functional capacity. Study Design: A closed cohort pilot study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Physiotherapy, Albury Base Hospital and School of Community Health, between November 2008 and November 2009. Methodology: Fifteen participants were assessed prior to and following completion of a cardiac rehabilitation program. Exercise was prescribed according to the Borg RPE scale. Pre and post Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) scores were obtained to determine the impact of the cardiac rehabilitation program. Results: Fifteen cardiac rehabilitation participants completed all requirements of the study after an initial enrolment of 22 patients. Wilcoxon signed-ranks test showed statistically significant improvements in 6MWT scores following participation in the cardiac rehabilitation program (p=.033) from a median value of 412 metres to 475 metres. Conclusion: In this pilot study, cardiac rehabilitation programs based on the Borg RPE scale may improvefunctional capacity measured by 6MWT during a 6-week period.