The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) issued guidance to doctors to help them identify people at risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) who might benefit from statins.

Philip Ranson, spokesman for Nice, said around four million people in England and Wales are taking statins but the recent guidance could see an extra 1.5 million benefit.

The drugs lower cholesterol, cutting the chance of people suffering CVD, which includes heart attacks and strokes.

CVD is a leading cause of ill-health and death in the UK, accounting for 124,000 deaths in 2005.

People aged 40 to 75 are likely to be high risk, as are those who smoke, have high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

It is hoped the new guidance will address the patchy prescribing of statins in primary care.

Mr Ranson said: "What's new about this guideline is that it recommends a systematic approach to identifying people at high risk of CVD."

A patient's risk of CVD can be calculated from factors such as age, smoking, blood and cholesterol levels to give a score (known as the Framingham score) which identifies people at highest risk.

The Nice guidance urges doctors to look at these risk factors in people aged 40 to 75 using information contained in their GP records.