A surge in the numbers of people leading unhealthy lifestyles could be the unwanted result of offering all men over 50 and all women over 60 a pill to protect them against heart disease and stroke, doctors warned yesterday.

While many experts welcomed the plan to increase the numbers taking the 'polypill' - a combination of cholestrol-lowering statin, aspirin and drugs to cut blood pressure - they warned it should not be viewed as a magic cure.

They were reacting to a suggestion by Professor Roger Boyle, the national director for heart disease and stroke, to mass-prescribe the drugs as a means of preventing premature deaths.

Cardiovascular disease claims more than 200,000 lives each year and three million Britons, classed as high risk, already take the drugs.

'In principle this is a very good idea,' said Sundeep Puri, a consultant cardiologist from Tameside, Greater Manchester. 'My worry is that it could take responsibility for health away from the person. They could see it as a magic pill and not think as hard about lifestyle issues. People on statins sometimes think they can eat whatever they like and not do as much exercise.'

Giving the drugs to everyone over a certain age would reduce cases of diabetes, according to Puri, who said the statins were extremely effective and very safe. Offering one pill instead of three or four also meant people were more likely to take them, he said.

But Puri argued that such a move must be accompanied with an education program pushing people to think about their diet and how to stay fit.

'You risk creating a culture that you don't have to worry about lifestyle because you can put it right by a pill,' said Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director of the British Heart Foundation. 'That would be a wholly inappropriate message. The best thing to do as a young person is do not smoke, do not get over-weight, eat well and exercise. That will reduce the risk of heart attack hugely.'

Statins, added Weissberg, were not a substitute for the lifestyle message but a welcome addition. They 'are a revelation for people at risk with heart disease and are far and away the safest drugs I have ever prescribed.'

His main concern with a blanket policy, however, was that the drugs carried a tiny risk of a serious side effect. 'We live in a culture where if one in 100,000 people gets a severe reaction, that family will sue,' said Weissberg. 'The population needs to understand that there is no such thing as a risk-free drug, just as there is no such thing as a risk-free car ride.'

Even Boyle admitted that the population was not yet ready for his idea, which would see millions more taking pills despite showing no symptoms.

Meanwhile, GPs pointed out that the economic benefits of prescribing the drug across the population may not be as marked as some believe.

'This would cause quite a bit of extra work for GPs as we would have to check cholesterol more often, do liver function tests and make sure people take them,' said Dr Gerald Spence, a GP in Shettleston, Glasgow.

'If someone does not die from a heart attack they will live longer and perhaps suffer from other diseases such as Alzheimer's. Nevertheless, I think this is an excellent idea.'

He argued that people over 50 were less likely to be blasé about their health. 'When you cross 50 what you want is a good quality life that lasts as long as possible. Statins are a way to get that.'