Aim To study the association of cytomegalovirus (CMV) with atherosclerosis. Methods The present of cytomegalovirus (CMV) nucleic acids was demonstrated in carotid artery and coronary artery of patients with and without atherosclerosis by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and detected CMV by PCR in the blood of cerebral infarction patients with and without atherosclerosis. Results 83.3%-86.7% of the samples obtained from atherosclerotic patients' arterial wall were shown to contain viral nucleic acids (CMV), among 6.6% of patients' arterial wall without atherosclerosis CMV could be found, significant deference can be found between them (P<0.01). In blood CMV could be found in 42.4% of patients with atherosclerosis, in the comparison only 3% of samples had CMV (P<0.01). Conclusion CMV plays an important role in the pathologic process of the atherosclerosis and the atherosclerotic cerebral infarction.