Only a few medics realised cholesterol was such a threat

The poll, for Cholesterol UK, claims one in three GPs and practice nurses feel they do not receive enough advice.

Cholesterol UK wants the GP contract altered to improve this. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the nation's biggest killer, claiming 125,000 lives a year.

But the British Heart Foundation said "most GPs and practice nurses are well informed about the major risk factors".

Cholesterol UK, which includes Heart UK and the British Cardiac Patients' Association, said it was "alarming" that only 4% of GPs and 7% of practice nurses identified cholesterol as the most important risk factor for coronary heart disease.

Seven out of 10 GPs (69%) and nine out of 10 practice nurses (89%) said they would welcome clearer information on improving the health of patients' hearts, according to the survey.

The charity claims that if more people knew how to look after their heart, thousands of lives could be saved.

Cholesterol UK spokeswoman Eve Knight said: "The new public health strategy is a golden opportunity for the government to better equip doctors and nurses with the tools and skills to prevent heart disease.

It is important no one factor is viewed in isolation Belinda Linden British Heart Foundation

"Current action against smoking and salt is great, but if we are to really tackle heart disease, we need to focus on other and greater risk factors as well - and that includes cholesterol."

Belinda Linden, the British Heart Foundation's head of medical information, said it sends "monthly fact files tailored for GPs to keep them informed about the latest in heart health".

But she said doctors "could benefit from more time and skills to encourage patients to fit lifestyle changes into their daily routine".

She added: "Although high blood cholesterol is one of the biggest risk factors for CHD, there are several and it is important no one factor is viewed in isolation.

"Smoking, for example, is one of the leading causes of preventable death, and other important risk factors that can increase your risk of CHD include high blood pressure, diabetes, family history, obesity and physical inactivity."

A Department of Health spokeswoman said: "We would expect nurses and GPs to be aware of the link of high cholesterol to heart disease, which they can then pass on to patients.