Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease promoted by damage to the morphology and function of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). AS is a leading cause of cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, cerebral infarction and peripheral vascular diseases, and has been reported to cause higher mortality and morbidity worldwide. Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) are two highly regarded non-coding RNAs with multiple biological functions in humans and animals. LncRNA are critical regulators in AS development, and miRNA are reported to exert their roles in the pathophysiology of AS. Recently, a large body of evidence shows that LncRNAs are involved in the proliferation, migration and apoptosis of VSMCs, and interact with miRNAs. Specifically, lncRNAs can function as competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs), which can compete with miRNAs, thereby regulating the expression of their downstream target genes. However, the mechanism of lncRNA as ceRNA in atherosclerotic VSMCs is still unclear. This paper reviews the research progress of lncRNAs sponging miRNAs to affect AS via controlling VSMC proliferation, migration, and apoptosis.