Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of global mortality, and further exploration of its occurrence and development mechanism is essential for prevention and treatment. As the harm of environmental degradation to cardiovascular system has become increasingly prominent, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) has attracted attention as a key activated receptor of environmental pollutants. AHR is considered to be a bridge connecting environmental exposure and a variety of CVDs, and plays an important role in maintaining cardiovascular homeostasis. This article reviews the pathophysiological role of AHR in the cardiovascular system, analyzes the role and molecular mechanism of AHR in related diseases activated by different endogenous and exogenous ligands, and highlights that AHR is a potential new therapeutic target, but there are still challenges in clinical translation. Finally, it is prospected that the application of artificial intelligence can accelerate the mechanism research of AHR in different CVDs and develop new prevention and treatment programs, providing direction for future research.