Multilevel Racism and Discrimination and Cardiovascular Disease and Related Biopsychosocial Mechanisms: An Integrated Scoping and Literature Review and Future Research Agenda

In the last two decades, empirical research has significantly advanced our understanding of the link between discrimination and cardiovascular disease (CVD). This integrated scoping and narrative literature review delineates the extant peer-reviewed research on discrimination and clinical and subclinical CVD in samples that include Black adults, using a multilevel conceptualization of race-related discrimination and racism. We also identify potential intermediary mechanisms in the racism-CVD relationship and propose a comprehensive future research agenda.

Using the Population, Exposure and Outcome framework and PRISMA guidelines, we identified 37 empirical reports for inclusion drawn from 1900 to 2024. The bulk of the literature has focused on discrimination and racism that occurs at the interpersonal level (28 studies), while a smaller but growing body of work has examined cultural (5 studies) or institutional and structural-level racism and discrimination (4 studies) in relation to CVD risk. The majority of these studies show that greater exposure to discrimination or racism is associated with increased clinical or subclinical CVD risk. Potential pathways include societal, environmental, psychological, and biological factors; however, few studies have conducted formal tests of mediation.

The literature suggests robust relations of multilevel racism and discrimination to manifestations of CVD across diverse exposure and outcome measures in Black adults. Our recommendations to eliminate cardiovascular health inequities in Black communities include enhancing academic scholarship training, securing targeted and protected funding, and adopting more robust methodological approaches.