Objective To explore the application effect of metronomic breathing therapy in home cardiac rehabilitation of elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods A total of 46 elderly AMI patients after PCI were enrolled, therein there were 26 cases in the observation group and 20 cases in the control group. Patients of both groups received home cardiac rehabilitation for intervention after discharge of being in stable condition, therein the observation group received metronomic breathing therapy, whereas the control group received routine abdominal breathing exercise. The hemodynamic indices with respect to stroke volume (SV), stroke volume index (SVI), cardiac output (CO), cardiac output index (CI), left ventricular stroke work (LVSW), left ventricular stroke work index (LVSWI), acceleration index (ACI), velocity index (VI), systemic vascular resistance (SVR), systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI), heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure of patients in both groups were detected on the day of discharge (before intervention) and 3 months after intervention. The 36⁃Item Short Form Health Survey (SF⁃36) was used to evaluate quality of life in patients of the two groups. Compliance with home cardiac rehabilitation intervention of patients was evaluated through rehabilitation records. Results (1) After 3 months of intervention, the observation group exhibited higher SV, SVI, CO, CI, VI, LVSW, LVSWI, whereas lower SVR and SVRI as compared with before intervention (P<0.05); furthermore, the observation group yielded higher SV, SVI, CO, CI, and VI, while lower SVR, SVRI, and systolic blood pressure as compared with the control group (P<0.05). (2) After 3 months of intervention, the observation group interpreted a higher original total score of SF⁃36, and higher scores of physiological function dimension, somatic pain dimension, overall health dimension, vitality dimension, social function dimension, emotional function dimension, and mental health dimension of SF⁃36 as compared with before intervention (P<0.05); in addition, the observation group depicted a higher SF⁃36 original total score, and higher scores of physiological function dimension, somatic pain dimension, overall health dimension, and mental health dimension of SF⁃36 as compared with the control group (P<0.05). (3) Compliance with home cardiac rehabilitation intervention of patients in the observation group was superior to that in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Compared with routine abdominal breathing exercise, applying metronomic breathing therapy to home cardiac rehabilitation after PCI can effectively reduce systemic vascular resistance in elderly AMI patients in the short term, enhance patients’ left ventricular ejection function, elevate their compliance with home cardiac rehabilitation, and ameliorate their quality of life, which is worthy to clinical application and promotion.