The cardiovascular conundrum in Non-Hispanic Black emerging adults: multiethnic differences in its association with emotion regulation strategies and socioeconomic status

Previous studies have identified a pattern of jointly elevated sympathetic vasoconstriction (indexed by total peripheral resistance, TPR) and increased cardiac vagal tone (indexed by heart rate variability, HRV) in non-Hispanic Black (NHB) adults relative to non-Hispanic White (NHW) counterparts in the United States, referred to as the cardiovascular conundrum. Whether a similar pattern is observed in other minority ethnic groups, and the role of emotion regulation strategies and socioeconomic status (SES), remains unclear. This study examined ethnic differences in TPR and HRV in emerging adults with Asian ( n = 183), NHB ( n = 82), Hispanic/Latino ( n = 228), and NHW ( n = 554) backgrounds, and tested the moderating role of emotion regulation strategies (expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal) and SES. NHB adults showed higher resting TPR (suggesting greater vascular strain) and HRV compared to NHW counterparts and other minority groups. Although all minority groups reported greater use of expressive suppression than NHW adults, this was associated with higher TPR and HRV values only in the NHB group, particularly at lower SES. In contrast, greater use of cognitive reappraisal was associated with lower TPR in NHB individuals. These findings suggest that associations between emotion regulation strategies and cardiovascular parameters may differ across sociocultural contexts. In particular, expressive suppression may be linked to physiological patterns consistent with increased vascular strain among NHB emerging adults, especially under conditions of socioeconomic disadvantage.