Introduction:

Diffuse interstitial lung disease does not tolerate exercise, due to the sensation of dyspnea and fatigue during low-intensity exertion. Heart rate recovery is related to performance in the six-minute walk test.

Objective:

To determine sociodemographic differences in lung function and capacity in patients with diffuse interstitial lung disease, based on heart rate recovery during the 6-minute walk test.

Methods:

A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed. Heart rate recovery was calculated from the difference between the end of the test and the five minutes of the test. Two comparison groups were formed, abnormal versus normal, in sociodemographic variables of pulmonary function and functional capacity.

Results:

38 patients were included in the normal group and 26 in the abnormal group. In the normal group, age was 62.26 ± 15.82 and men were predominant (52.6 %); while in the abnormal group, age averaged 58.77 ± 13.23 and women were predominant (61.5 %). A p-value < 0.05 of the abnormal frequency recovery group was presented in the distance run, dyspnea at the end, fatigue at the end, 1 minute and at 5 minutes after the culmination of the test.

Conclusions:

Patients with diffuse interstitial lung disease with abnormal heart rate recovery had worse results in distance run, oxygen volume, metabolic equivalents, dyspnea and lower limb fatigue.

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