According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 330 patients with CAD between the ages of 40 and 80 years were recruited from the inpatient cardiology department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. Informed consent was obtained from each participant after explaining the study protocols. Patients were randomly assigned to one of the three groups: control group (n=110), morning walking group (n=110) or evening walking group (n=110). The control group was requested to maintain their usual level of physical activity. Participants in both walking groups were requested to walk at the speed of 2.5 miles/h for 30 min/day or more on at least 5 days/week for a period of 12 weeks. The protocol of exercise was identical, while the difference between the two groups was that one group was asked for walking in the morning and the other group walking in the evening. Each participant was telephoned at least once a week to ensure the adherence to the exercise program. Patients were called back every month to understand the information about walking and medication use. In the intervention groups, subjects whose compliance rate with their respectively walking program were less than 85% were excluded in the analysis. Additionally, all the participants were given an advice on quitting smoking and were provided with similar diets by a nutritionist, as to caloric intake and nutrients. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, lipoprotein a, white blood cell count and platelet count, fibrinogen were measured before and after the intervention.