Objectives: to analyze the concept of cardiovascular risk to support nursing practice.
Methods: this is an analysis to define the concept of cardiovascular risk, through the use of eight steps of Walker's and Avant's framework, using a literature review in indexed scientific journals.
Results: cardiovascular risk is defined in a broad and original way as a context of health and nursing care that makes it possible to identify modifiable (cardiometabolic, behavioral, psychosocial, cultural and occupational) and non-modifiable (biological) risk factors for cardiovascular diseases that act as early and interrelated markers, of multiple and heterogeneous etiology, predisposing to cardiovascular vulnerability.
Conclusions: with the analysis and definition of the concept of cardiovascular risk, we realized that it will be possible to base nursing practice, with implications in clinical practice for identifying and reducing risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, with nursing relevance in the care of these subjects.