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Millions of Britons taking popular blood pressure medication may be at risk of developing deadly kidney problems, experts have warned.

A study found that patients taking drugs such as amlodipine and lacidipine were at a 33 per cent higher risk of complications like kidney disease than those taking other blood pressure drugs.

Experts say the findings 'raise important questions' about whether the medication- known as dihydropyridine calcium-channel blockers (DCCBs) - 'are always the best option'.

DCCBs are largely taken by the 16 million Britons who have high blood pressure, which can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

The most commonly prescribed are amlodipine – responsible for around 41 million prescriptions per year – as well as felodipine, lacidipine, lercanidipine hydrochloride, nicardipine hydrochloride, nifedipine and nimodipine.

They work by helping the blood vessels to widen and relax, allowing a greater flow of blood and thus lowering blood pressure.

The most recent study involved people with type 2 diabetes, who are already at higher risk of kidney problems.

This is because excess blood sugar in the blood forces the kidneys to overwork, wearing out the organs' filters.

A study found that type 2 diabetes patients taking dihydropyridine calcium-channel blockers - like amlodipine - were at a 33 per cent higher risk of complications like kidney disease

Israeli researchers followed more than 31,000 adults with type 2 diabetes over five years.

Roughly 40 per cent of participants were taking DCCBs. All of those in the study were taking other medications to prevent kidney damage, which is often the case for type 2 diabetics.

Presenting their findings at this year's European Renal Association Congress in Glasgow, the scientists revealed that patients taking DCCBs had a 33 per cent higher risk of serious kidney problems.

This included a decline of more than 40 per cent in kidney function – the term for how well the kidneys filter blood and waste.

Participants on the drugs were also more likely to develop end-stage kidney disease severe enough to require dialysis or a kidney transplant.

This is more commonly known as kidney failure, which is responsible for around 45,000 deaths every year in the UK.

Around 20 people develop kidney failure in Britain every day.

Dr Timna Agur, a senior nephrologist at Rabin Medical Center and lead author of the study, said: 'Our findings raise important questions about whether these medications are always the best option for patients already receiving modern kidney-protective therapies.'

Researchers believe the DCCBs may interfere with the flow of blood through the kidneys.

They say the drugs may relax the blood vessels so much that an overflow of liquid is carried through into the kidney's filtering system.

This could potentially contribute to further damage.

The researchers stressed that they could not prove that the drugs caused the increased kidney complications, but stressed that their findings are important and require further investigation.

Dr Agur added: 'Given how commonly these medications are prescribed, any increase in kidney risk could have important implications for large numbers of patients.'

It comes after clinicians called on the NHS to roll out a urine test to catch diabetes-related kidney disease earlier.

The problem affects more than seven million Britons but it is estimated that around 30 to 50 per cent of cases are not diagnosed by a doctor.

Research by the charity Kidney Care UK found that 65 per cent of people with diabetes and high blood pressure who later developed kidney disease were not told they were at higher risk.

Almost 40 per cent of people with diabetes are also missing out on simple urine tests that can identify early signs of kidney damage and allow treatment that can slow or halt progression.

Earlier this year, Alison Railton, director of policy at Kidney Research UK, said: ‘Governments need to prioritise resourcing health services to diagnose at-risk patients, such as those with heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes earlier, and deliver urgent, preventative care – or millions of patients and economies worldwide will suffer the consequences.’