Every adult over 40 could be screened for heart disease under recommendations expected from a Government advisory panel.

The scheme would identify those suitable for statins, the cholesterol-busting drugs, and mark the beginning of one of the largest programmes of mass medication.

Research suggests that half of all adults aged 40 or over - 14 million people - could benefit from taking the drugs, even though they show no symptoms.

Screening would take place at 40, 50 and 60, conducted by general practitioners, under recommendations expected this week from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

Patients would have their blood pressure checked along with their cholesterol and weight and would be asked if they smoke - all factors which increase risk.

Those with a 20 per cent chance of developing heart disease over the next 10 years would then be prescribed statins. At present only patients who have suffered a heart attack or angina are eligible for statins on the NHS, although some of those at risk can be prescribed the drugs at their GP’s discretion.

Heart disease is Britain’s biggest killer, claiming 105,000 lives a year and it is thought a national screening programme could save 14,000 lives a year. Research by Dr Iftikhar Haq, a consultant cardiologist in Newcastle, suggests that if everyone aged over 40 was screened, 47 per cent of those who show no symptoms would be suitable for treatment with statins.

But some doctors have argued that launching a mass programme of medication risks making large parts of the population dependent on drugs for the rest of their lives.

The drugs, which work on cholesterol-regulating enzymes in the liver, are considered safe but can have side effects such as muscle pain or liver problems.

“This is turning people into patients,” said Dr Peter Brindle, a researcher in cardiovascular disease at Bristol University. “They are going to be offered this preventative drug for the rest of their life with all the risks and side effects. There has to be a public debate over whether society feels this should be done.”

A consultation document published two years ago highlighted the fact that cholesterol can also be cut through exercise and dietary changes and said there was uncertainty among doctors about how to manage cholesterol for those who have not yet developed heart disease. A spokesman for the Department of Health said a decision had yet to be taken on whether to screen the whole population or only those at risk.

Dr Bill Kirkup, the chairman of the Department of Health’s Vascular Board, said: “We are currently looking at a range of options for vascular risk assessment and management, as well as the associated benefits and costs, but no decision has yet been taken.”

File information from: telegraph.co.uk