N6-methylpurine (m⁶A) is the most common type of post-transcriptional RNA modification in eukaryotes, involving many types of RNA. m⁶A methylation modification is dynamic and reversible and is mainly regulated by a variety of enzymes and proteins, including methyltransferase, demethylase and m⁶A-related binding proteins. Atherosclerosis is the main cause of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Recent studies have found that m⁶A methylation is closely related to atherosclerosis. This paper summarizes the current understanding of the mechanism of m⁶A methylation modification, and reviews the mechanism and latest progress of m⁶A methylation modification in atherosclerosis-related cells, so as to provide a new target for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.