Telomeres play an important role in maintaining genomic stability and cell life. Accumulating studies show that telomeres are closely related to human aging, cardiovascular diseases and cerebrovascular diseases. There are a series of researches about telomeres and atherosclerosis across the world, including studies on the relationship between atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular diseases and telomere length, and on telomere-targeted treatments for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Telomeres may be a risk predictor or a new therapeutic target for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. This article reviews the relationship between telomeres and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, introduces the research progress of telomere length and cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, and the possible mechanisms of their association, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for exploring new therapeutic targets for atherosclerosis.