Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a group of clinical syndromes caused by acute myocardial ischemia, including ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and unstable angina (UA). Currently, the clinical diagnosis of ACS relies on three key factors: clinical data (such as medical history, age, symptoms, etc.), electrocardiogram (ECG), and cardiac biomarkers (cTn, MyO, CK-MB, NT-proBNP, etc.). However, diagnosing UA patients and some NSTEMI patients can be challenging due to the absence of characteristic electrocardiogram dynamic evolution seen in STEMI patients. This is particularly true in cases with mild symptoms or no obvious chest pain and negative detection of myocardial injury markers. Recent studies have highlighted the potential clinical value and availability of growth differentiation factor 15 as a new cardiac biomarker closely associated with the occurrence and prognosis of ACS [1]. However, further investigation is needed to fully understand its role in ACS. This article aims to review the clinical application value of GDF-15 in acute coronary syndrome.