Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease whose onset and development involves disorders of lipid metabolism and iron metabolism. The establishment of ideal animal models is an important means to study the etiology, pathogenesis, prevention and therapeutic measures of AS. The main research objects of animal models of AS related to iron and lipid metabolism are mice and miniature piglets. Due to the advantages of small size, fast reproduction, easy feeding and low cost, mice have become widely used experimental animals in basic research, and male ApoE-/- mice are more common. Single factor high-fat diet induced iron and lipid metabolism disorder in AS is a commonly used model establishment method, which can cause lipid metabolism disorder and iron metabolism disorder, specifically manifested as elevated blood lipid levels, large plaques and iron deposition in the aorta, and significant increase in serum iron and liver iron. This article compares and analyzes the effects of different intervention factors on iron and lipid metabolism in AS animal models, and summarizes the methods of constructing AS animal models through diet induction, chemical intervention, gene modification, etc., in order to provide reference and inspiration for the research of AS and metabolic diseases and the development of new drugs.