Macrophages can be polarized into different states according to the microenvironment in which the body is located，which can be mainly divided into M1 type and M2 type.The two types have different advantages in different stages of atherosclerosis，thereby interacting with each other.Their interactions are similar to mutually opposing and constraining，balance，and transformation in the yin and yang theory of traditional Chinese medicine.This paper explored the role of macrophage polarization in atherosclerosis from the yin and yang theory of traditional Chinese medicine，proposing that the balance of M1/M2 in different stages of atherosclerosis should be regulated.When the effect of the M1 type is strong，macrophages can be used to clear heat-toxin，and prescriptions are Huanglian Jiedu Decoction and so on.When the effect of the M2 type is strong，macrophages can be used to tonify qi and warm yang，promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis，and eliminate phlegm and remove turbidity，and prescriptions are mainly Guizhi Decoction，Sijunzi Decoction，Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction，and Erchen Decoction.