Diabetic angiopathy is one of the most serious complications of diabetes. In a state of high glucose, normal functions of blood vessels are damaged, which leads to a series of vascular complications such as diabetic retinopathy, diabetic nephropathy, lower extremity arteriosclerosis occlusion and aortic aneurysm. However, recent studies have revealed that autophagy as an intracellular protein degradation pathway and stress defense mechanism, plays a significant role in the progression of diabetic angiopathy. Thus, we have summarized the progress on research with respect to autophagy-related genes, autophagy signaling pathways and the roles of autophagy in diabetic angiopathy and discuss the detailed mechanisms, which may provide treatment options for diabetic angiopathy.