The studies on the association of GDF-15 with atherosclerosis that have been conducted over the last five years cover several areas: (1) the influence of GDF-15 on macrophage activity, (2) the association of GDF-15 with lipid metabolism, (3) the influence of GDF-15 on VSMCs, and (4) the study of serum levels of GDF-15 in cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients. Here, GDF15 is linked to atherosclerosis.