Table 4. Summary of evidence examining the links between discrimination and cardiovascular health among socially stigmatized groups.

Cardiovascular health risk factor Type of discrimination (N = 84 Studies)	Cross-sectional (correlational) Total (+ studies)	Experimental Total (+ studies)	Longitudinal Total (+ studies)	RCT Total (+ studies)
Blood Pressure (n = 45)
Race (n = 43)	35 (24)	4 (4)	0	4 (4)
Weight (n = 1)	0	1 (1)	0	0
Gender (n = 0)	0	0	0	0
Sexual orientation (n = 0)	0	0	0	0
Age (n = 0)	0	0	0	0
Multiple types (n = 1)	1 (1)	0	0	0
Heart rate variability / heart rate (n = 6)
Race (n = 5)	4 (4)	1 (1)	0	0
Weight (n = 1)	0	1 (1)	0	0
Gender (n = 0)	0	0	0	0
Sexual orientation (n = 0)	0	0	0	0
Age (n = 0)	0	0	0	0
Blood/saliva cardiovascular biomarkers (n = 18)
Race (n = 9)	6 (6)	2 (2)	1 (1)	0
Weight (n = 6)	3 (3)	0	0	3 (3)
Gender (n = 0)	0	0	0	0
Sexual orientation (n = 2)	2 (2)	0	0	0
Age (n = 0)	0	0	0	0
Multiple types (n = 1)	1 (1)	0	0	0
Other cardiovascular health risk factors (n = 15)
Race (n = 9)	8 (8)	0	1 (1)	0
Weight (n = 3)	0	0	3 (3)	0
Gender (n = 0)	0	0	0	0
Sexual orientation (n = 0)	0	0	0	0
Age (n = 0)	0	0	0	0
Multiple types (n = 3)	1 (1)	0	1 (1)	1 (0)
Totals	61 (50)	9 (9)	6 (6)	8 (7)

+ studies denotes the number of studies that demonstrated significant findings linking stigma/discrimination and cardiovascular health; RCT = Randomized controlled trial