AimTo investigate the role of cardiac rehabilitation on improving exercise capacity and ameliorating emotional disorders in coronary artery bypass grafting patients.MethodsFifty-two patients who had to wait for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in the 1st hospital of China medical university were randomly divided into cardiac rehabilitation group(n= 27) and usual care group(control, n=25).All of the patients received conventional therapy,and the rehabilitation group was treated by gradually increased exercise and psychological intervention.6 min walk test,left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF), hamilton anxiety scale(HAMA), self-rating depress scale(HAMD) were measured in preoperative and on 15th postoperative day.ResultsOn 15th postoperative day,compared with control group, 6-min walk distance of rehabilitation group was significantly higher（298.15±59.24 m vs 220.80±54.25 m, p<0.01）, and the scores of HAMA, HAMD significantly dropped（2.07±2.45 scores vs 5.48±3.32 scores,2.26±2.31 scores vs 6.36±3.81 scores,p<0.01）, rehabilitation patient’s postoperative LVEF was improved compared with preoperative（p<0.01).With futher analysis, the rehabilitation group showed a negative correlation between HAMA(r=－0.53,p<0.01),HAMD(r=－0.60,p<0.01) level and 6-min walk distance respectively.ConclusionsPsychological intervention combined with exercise treatment to patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting may drop levels of anxiety and depression, improve exercise capacity.It deserves further clinical applications.