Emotional suppression and the Cardiovascular Conundrum: Psychophysiological effects of stigma in LGB individuals

The “Cardiovascular Conundrum” refers to a paradoxical autonomic profile—elevated vagally mediated heart rate variability (HRV) alongside increased total peripheral resistance (TPR)—previously documented in African American individuals. While some link this pattern to genetic factors, others highlight the potential role of repeated exposure to discrimination and chronic emotional suppression. To investigate this mechanism in a different minority group, we studied 24 LGB and 26 heterosexual participants, matched by age and sex, during rest and while recalling a stressful discriminatory event. Participants were then randomly assigned to either a control condition (no instructions) or an emotional suppression condition, where they were instructed to inhibit negative emotions during a 10- minute recovery period. As expected, both groups showed increased HRV (F= .95; η2 = .02) and TPR (F = 3.90; η2 = .07) during suppression. Notably, LGB participants exhibited the same physiological response even in the control condition, suggesting a spontaneous suppression tendency when exposed to stigma- related stress. Replicating this cardiovascular pattern in a different marginalized group supports the idea that minority stress can become biologically embedded. These findings underscore the need for health policies and interventions that address the physiological consequences of discrimination. FUNDING: This research was supported by funding from the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) through the PRIN 2022 program