For example, GDF15 plays a role in cancer cachexia (Lerner et al., 2015; Weide et al., 2016), mitochondrial diseases (Kalko et al., 2014; Montero et al., 2016; Yatsuga et al., 2015), and as a mediator of intensive care unit (ICU)‐acquired muscle weakness (Bloch et al., 2015). This evidence concerns the gene GDF15 and mitochondrial disease.