Introduction:

The Incremental Shuttle Walk Test has been used to determine physical capacity in patients with chronic kidney disease. However, its applicability and reproducibility have seldom been studied in hemodialysis patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance and reproducibility of the incremental shuttle walk test in patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis. Methods: Patients with chronic kidney disease on dialysis and subjects without chronic kidney disease were included. Each individual performed two Incremental Shuttle Walk Test with an interval of 30 minutes. We recorded the distance traveled, maximum speed, heart rate and perceived effort. Reproducibility was analyzed by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient and the standard error of the mean. Using the Bland-Altman analysis, we calculated the discrepancy of the distance traveled and the peak heart rate. The minimum detectable change was also calculated for all parameters of the incremental shuttle walk test. A value of p=<0.05 was considered significant. Results: 68 subjects entered the study (34 were patients with chronic kidney disease, and 34 subjects constituted the control group). Patients with chronic kidney disease walked a shorter distance than those in the control group (-40%; p=<0.0001). In both groups, excellent test-retest reliability was found in all outcome measurements (intraclass correlation coefficient calculation >0.80). The standard error of measurement and the minimum detectable change for the distance traveled were 26.0 m and 72.1 m, respectively. The Bland-Altman analysis for the distance traveled showed a mean difference of -0.9 m with limits of agreement between 65.5 and -63.7 m. Conclusion: Patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis show lower performance during the incremental shuttle walk test, compared to individuals without chronic kidney disease. The outcome measurements of the Incremental Shuttle Walk Test show high test-retest reproducibility in the short run in this group of patients.

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