Long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been validated to mediate the development of atherosclerosis (AS). In the present study, the molecular mechanisms and functions of lncRNA nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) in the advancement of human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) were investigated. The levels of lncRNA‑NEAT1 and miR‑638 expression in clinical samples and cells were explored via quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Colony formation and CCK‑8 assays were performed to determine the proliferative capacity of cells, and the apoptotic capacity of cells was analyzed on the basis of apoptotic cell proportion and caspase‑3 activity. Then, the proportion of cells and correlations among phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1), NEAT1, and miR‑638 were determined through RNA immunoprecipitation and luciferase assays and bioinformatics analysis. Moreover, the expression levels of Ki‑67, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, PGK1, Bax, Bcl‑2, (p)‑mTOR, (p)‑AKT, and β‑catenin were analyzed via western blot analysis. In the serum of patients with AS and HAECs induced by oxidized low‑density lipoprotein (ox‑LDL), the expression level of miR‑638 was decreased, whereas that of NEAT1 was increased. After ox‑LDL therapy, NEAT1 knockdown suppressed HAEC proliferation and stimulated HAEC apoptosis, which could be reversed by the miR‑638 inhibitor. NEAT1 inhibited miR‑638 expression through direct mutual action. The following mechanical investigations revealed that PGK1 was a miR‑638 target, whose expression was increased by NEAT1, a competing endogenous RNA of miR‑638. Additionally, the miR‑638 inhibitor contributed to proliferation and suppressed apoptosis through the activation of the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in ox‑LDL‑induced HAECs. NEAT1 adjusted the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway via miR‑638 in ox‑LDL‑induced HAECs to accelerate their proliferation and impede their apoptosis. This result revealed that NEAT1 may be valuable in the treatment of AS.