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Although doctors have previously raised concerns about the impact of the drugs on kidney function, the extent of any potential danger has remained unclear.

Figures from the new study, published in the PLOS ONE journal, suggest that the higher prescription rate was linked to 1,636 additional patients being admitted to hospital for acute kidney injury over the three year period.

One in seven of all cases of acute kidney injury - which has a mortality rate of 25 to 30 per cent - could be a result of increased prescriptions of the drugs, they claimed.

However, they emphasised that their study had not proven that the medication directly caused kidney damage, and said patients should not stop taking the drugs unless instructed to do so by their doctor.

Dr Rupert Payne of the University of Cambridge, lead author of the study, said: "There has been lots of anecdotal evidence suggesting these drugs may be a contributory factor in patients developing acute kidney injury, and this work gives us an opportunity to estimate the size of the problem, as well as making clinicians and patients more aware of the importance of using these drugs in accordance with current clinical guidelines."

Dr Laurie Tomlinson, co-author, added: "These results are the first to estimate to what extent these drugs may be contributing to the growing incidence of acute kidney injury.

"Therefore, they represent the first step of research needed to better define when they can be prescribed safely, which should reduce the growing burden of acute kidney injury and save NHS costs and ultimately lives."