A SIMPLE, one-minute sit-to-stand test predicted long-term adverse outcomes in patients with pulmonary hypertension, according to new prospective research.
The study showed that poorer performance on the one-minute sit-to-stand test was strongly associated with a higher risk of heart failure hospitalisation, heart–lung transplantation, or death over long-term follow-up. These findings highlighted the potential of this quick functional assessment as a practical tool for risk stratification in routine pulmonary hypertension care.
Pulmonary hypertension is a progressive condition characterised by elevated pulmonary arterial pressure, leading to right heart failure and reduced survival. Functional capacity is a key factor in assessing prognosis in pulmonary hypertension, with the six-minute walk test commonly recommended in clinical guidelines. While the test is well established, simpler assessments such as the one-minute sit-to-stand test are being explored for their practicality in routine clinical settings
One-Minute Sit-to-Stand Test and Pulmonary Hypertension Risk
In the prospective cohort study, 117 patients with pulmonary hypertension underwent both the one-minute sit-to-stand test and the six-minute walk test at baseline. Participants had a mean age of 66 years, and just over half were female. Patients were followed for a median of 2.7 years to assess the occurrence of major adverse outcomes.
Performance on the one-minute sit-to-stand test was a strong predictor of prognosis. Each additional repetition was associated with a lower risk of adverse outcomes (hazard ratio: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.90–0.98; p<0.001). Importantly, this relationship remained significant after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels, and major comorbidities.
Patients were stratified using previously proposed cut-offs aligned with guideline thresholds for the six-minute walk test. Kaplan–Meier analysis demonstrated markedly worse outcomes among patients completing 14 repetitions or fewer, compared with those achieving higher counts.
The one-minute sit-to-stand test therefore appeared to capture clinically meaningful differences in functional capacity and disease severity, with prognostic power comparable to more established assessments.
Clinical Implications
The findings suggested that the one-minute sit-to-stand test could serve as a low-cost, reproducible tool for longitudinal risk assessment in pulmonary hypertension, particularly in settings where space, time, or patient frailty limit the use of walking tests.
Larger, multicentre studies will be needed to confirm optimal cut-off values and determine how changes in one-minute sit-to-stand test performance over time relate to treatment response.
If validated, integrating the one-minute sit-to-stand test into routine pulmonary hypertension follow-up could improve early identification of high-risk patients and support more personalised management strategies.
Reference
Kronberger C. et al. Performance on the one-minute sit-to-stand test predicts long-term adverse outcomes in pulmonary hypertension. Sci Rep. 2026; DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-37611-x.
