Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that cardiovascular diseases account for 31% of all deaths each year, making them the leading cause of death worldwide. As such, the search to reduce rates through the development of new treatments and approaches is incessant. Methodology: This is a literature review whose bases were taken from the SciELO and PubMed data platforms. The search period was July 2023, meeting the inclusion criteria of articles from 2000 to 2023, in Portuguese and English, online and in full text. Discussion: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death worldwide and are among the main causes of disability and years of life lost, having an important social, economic, and quality of life impact on the population. (1,2) Cardiovascular risk factors include high cholesterol levels, diabetes mellitus, a sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure, and obesity.