Atherosclerosis is the main factor leading to various cardio-cerebrovascular events, and it is also the main pathogenic mechanism of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Early diagnosis and early treatment are important measures to delay and control atherosclerosis. Pulse wave velocity, as an effective method to evaluate atherosclerosis, has been widely used in clinic because of its advantages of noninvasive, economical and simple operation. In this paper, the measurement principle and application of pulse wave velocity are reviewed.