Los Angeles, July 24 (Xinhua) Postmenopausal women with elevated insulin levels may face greater risk of developing breast cancer, a new study has found.

US researchers drew the conclusion after examining data on 5,450 women who took part in the Women's Health Initiative, a large study that looked at how various factors influence women's health, the study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, said Thursday.

The study was conducted by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in New York City.

The researchers found a strong association between elevated insulin levels in the blood and increased risk of breast cancer.

Women with insulin levels in the highest third were twice as likely to develop breast cancer as women in the bottom third, according to the study.

The team also discovered that the link between elevated insulin levels and breast cancer was stronger for thin women than for obese women, who tend to have higher insulin levels.