PREVENTION OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES IN DIABETIC PATIENTS

Abstract

The role of nurses in preventing cardiovascular diseases in diabetic patients is essential to reduce complications, improve treatment adherence, and promote a better quality of life. Diabetes mellitus, associated with multiple cardiovascular risk factors, requires systematic interventions based on clinical protocols, including monitoring of blood glucose, blood pressure, lipid profile, as well as nutritional guidance and encouragement of physical activity. This study aims to investigate the role of nurses in this context, analyzing their responsibilities, technical skills, decision-making capacity, and health education strategies focused on the prevention of cardiovascular diseases in diabetic patients. This is an integrative literature review, developed in the Virtual Health Library (BVS-BIREME), consulting the databases Scientific Electronic Library Online, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Database, Nursing Database, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Medline. Full articles in Portuguese and English, published in the last ten years (2015 to 2025) and freely available, were included. To compose the literature review, scientific articles and academic publications addressing the impact of the nurse's role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases in diabetic patients were analyzed, highlighting actions such as guidance on healthy lifestyle habits, continuous clinical monitoring, support for treatment adherence, and health education aimed at reducing cardiovascular risk factors. It is concluded that the nurse plays a strategic and multifaceted role, not only in the execution of clinical interventions, but also in the coordination of care, continuous patient follow-up, and educational and emotional support, contributing significantly to the prevention of cardiovascular complications and improvement of the quality of life of diabetic patients.