In July, a study out of Tulane University found that being lonely can prove to be worse than some health issues like depression and smoking for patients with diabetes.

The findings emphasize the importance of well-paying jobs, health care access, and social support that can come from a family or tight-knit community, according to Jiang He, chair in epidemiology at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and lead author of the study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

“We shouldn’t be surprised that we’re going to have sporadic outbreaks again,” said Dr. Thom Eisele, professor and director of the Center for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropic Medicine, to USA Today.

Among the social factors that contribute to this racial disparity are unemployment, low income, lack of regular access to health care and lack of a partner, Tulane University researchers said.

“Alcohol’s direct impact on blood pressure has been known for years, but the real question that has been vexing is what happens to blood pressure with low levels of alcohol intake,” said Paul K. Whelton, MD, MSc, study-coauthor, Show Chwan Chair in Global Public Health in the department of epidemiology at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans.

Researchers from Tulane University and seven other institutions also contributed to the project.

"It's an important piece of work," said Diego Rose, a nutrition researcher at Tulane University who was not involved in the study.

The findings may be most important for those who already have higher than desired blood pressure levels, says Paul Whelton, professor in the epidemiology department at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and coauthor of the study in the journal Hypertension.

Now, a new study from Tulane University published in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension is not only saying 'the more you drink the more your blood pressure increases' but it's also showing that a beer a day can increase your blood pressure as well.

Now, a new study from Tulane University published in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension is not only saying 'the more you drink the more your blood pressure increases' but it's also showing that a beer a day can increase your blood pressure as well.