High blood pressure may significantly increase the risk of developing a stroke, according to new research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2016 this month.

Intracerebral hemorrhage is a type of stroke caused by a weakened blood vessel that ruptures and bleeds into brain tissue. The new study shows high blood pressure is a powerful determinant of risk for such a brain bleed.

For the study, researchers tracked 4,646 patients who were white, black or Hispanic, for a period of six years. Half of them had an intracerebral hemorrhage.

The researchers found that those with untreated high blood pressure were between 9.5 11.1 times more likely to suffer a stroke than those without hypertension.

For people with high blood pressure, untreated high blood pressure was linked to a 3.7 to 5.5 higher odds of brain bleed compared to when it's treated.

"The average age for a brain hemorrhage is much younger in minorities, especially in African-Americans, so they may suffer more disability earlier in life than others," said Dr. Kyle Walsh, study author and an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Cincinnati.

Although it's not completely clear why racial minorities have higher rates of untreated high blood pressure, a possible reason is access to medical care, Dr. Walsh said.

"It's important to be aware of having high blood pressure in the first place, and once diagnosed, to have it treated appropriately," Dr. Walsh said.

The study was funded, in part, by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.