Abstract:Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is defined as a precancerous lesion of gastric cancer by the World Health Organization (WHO), with a malignant transformation rate of up to 7%. However, its clinical manifestations are similar to those of common gastritis and lack specificity, and current therapeutic strategies are unable to fundamentally reverse disease progression. As key cells involved in tissue repair and remodeling, macrophages can regulate the inflammatory response and tissue repair in CAG through polarized phenotypic switching. This review summarizes the research progress on the role of macrophages in the pathogenesis of CAG, as well as in both traditional Chinese and Western medical interventions, aiming to reveal the disease mechanism, to provide new insights for developing safe and effective therapies, and to bring new breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of CAG.