Dijon University’s medical centre has compiled a database of 310 prescription drugs which can cause lung damage. Few doctors are aware of the potential link because:

• lung damage is instantly obvious in some cases, but can take years to show in others

• many of the drugs which can cause lung damage are prescribed for non-lung-related illnesses

• only some people get damaged

Professor Phillipe Camus warned that herbal medicines could also cause damage and that far too little research had been done on their side-effects, especially when patients are taking conventional drugs at the same time.

The database is available on their website: www.pneumotox.com

Ed.- This is a very useful site, except that its references do not automatically link to the research papers they list. There is a way round this. To see the research or at least a summary of it, use the Medline search facility at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov