In acute myocardial ischemia, cardiomyocytes can either secrete FGF21 in the form of paracrine secretion or induce FGF21 secretion from liver and adipose tissue, which acts on cardiomyocytes in an endocrine manner to exert cardioprotective effects (Chiba et al., 2018; Liu et al., 2013; Liu et al., 2012). Here, FGF21 is linked to myocardial ischemia.