Abstract:With the extension of the global population's lifespan and the increasingly severe aging problem, cardiovascular diseases have become the leading cause of death among the elderly population. Most cardiovascular diseases originate from the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. In addition to common risk factors such as dyslipidemia, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and obesity, circadian rhythm disruption is also regarded as an important but often overlooked risk factor for atherosclerosis. The circadian rhythm is involved in regulating key physiological processes such as inflammation and metabolism, which in turn affect the pathological processes of arteriosclerosis and thrombosis. In this process, the key genes that maintain the stability of the circadian rhythm, namely clock gene, play a crucial role. Clock gene have an important role in the pathological mechanism of atherosclerosis, and they may become potential new targets for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis. This paper reviews the latest research progress on the mechanism of action of clock gene in the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis. These findings may provide new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of atherosclerosis.