Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) is a regulatory subunit of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 and is the key protein to catalyze the initiation of protein synthesis. Previous studies have confirmed that phosphorylated eIF2α can play a negative feedback regulation on protein synthesis. Recent studies have found that phosphorylated eIF2α can also specifically activate the translation of certain mRNA to synthesize specific proteins to regulate the expression of target genes, thereby promoting the occurrence and development of diseases. It has been found that eIF2α is differentially expressed in proliferative diseases such as atherosclerosis, pulmonary arterial hypertension and tumors. These evidences suggest that eIF2α may play an important role in human proliferative diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and tumors. Therefore, further exploring the role and mechanism of eIF2α in proliferative diseases is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of proliferative diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and tumors.