The limitations of this study include the small num-ber of published papers about DCO and RDCO; the restricted number of Brazilian nurse experts whose backgrounds were related to nursing diagnosis and cardiovascular health; and the cultural setting of the findings, which are restricted to Brazil. Finally, it is necessary to develop clinical validity studies in order to identify evidences related to the presence of this risk nursing diagnosis in the clinical practice. Further research is needed to focus on this nursing diagnosis. International studies focused on this medical condi-tion and the nursing care associated with its treatment would be an importantnextstepto further validate the risk factors associated with DCO.