ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation on the exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for a optimal strategy for pulmonary rehabilitation. MethodsOne hundred and six patients with COPD in stable stage were divided into group B (n=37), group C (n=36), and group D(n=33) based on GOLD 2011.Each group of patients were randomly subdivided into a control group(usual care), a pulmonary rehabilitation strategy group 1 (breathing training), and a pulmonary rehabilitation strategy group 2 (breathing training and exercise training), and they were intervened for 24 weeks.Pulmonary function(FEV1%pred), COPD Assessment Test (CAT), modified British Medical Research Council dyspnea scale(mMRC), BODE index and 6-minute walking distance(6MWD) were compared before and after intervention. ResultsAfter pulmonary rehabilitation intervening for 24 weeks, in group B and group C, pulmonary rehabilitation strategy group 2 showed the best effect, CAT, mMRC, BODE index, and 6MWD were proved significantly different before and after pulmonary rehabilitation (P < 0.05).In group D, all indexes had no significant difference between pulmonary rehabilitation strategy group 1 and group 2 before and after pulmonary rehabilitation (P > 0.05), but they were better than those of the control group.Correlation analysis showed that CAT score had significant correlation with FEV1 % pred, mMRC, BODE index and 6MWD (P < 0.01). ConclusionPatients with different subgroup of COPD based on GOLD 2011 may take different pulmonary rehabilitation strategies to achieve the optimal effect.