Objective To carry out analysis on the fatigue lifetime prediction of nitinol cardiovascular stents. Method By using the finite element method of fatigure fracture, the three dimensional nitinol cardiovascular stents were established to analyze the structure of cardiovascular stents under a physiological pulsating cyclic loading. Results Great normal stress, low fatigue life and serious fatigue damage were found to be located near the stents’knots, and stents with nitrided surface or shot peened surface were likely to have a longer fatigue life. During miniature fatigue testing, early fatigue cracks or fractures were always formed at locations near stents’knots. Conclusions The simulating results under the physiological loading are matched with related experimental results, which provide a theoretical basis for the reliability and design of the cardiovascular stents.