About the Authors

Matthijs J. H. M. van der Loos

mvanderloos@ese.eur.nl

Affiliations Department of Applied Economics, Erasmus School of Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Cornelius A. Rietveld

Affiliations Department of Applied Economics, Erasmus School of Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Niina Eklund

Affiliations Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, Public Health Genomics Unit, Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, The National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland

Philipp D. Koellinger

Affiliations Department of Applied Economics, Erasmus School of Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Fernando Rivadeneira

Affiliations Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Gonçalo R. Abecasis

Affiliation Center for Statistical Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America

Georgina A. Ankra-Badu

Affiliation Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom

Sebastian E. Baumeister

Affiliation Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany

Daniel J. Benjamin

Affiliation Department of Economics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America

Reiner Biffar

Affiliation Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Gerodontology and Biomaterials, Centre of Oral Health, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany

Stefan Blankenberg

Affiliation Department of General and Interventional Cardiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

Dorret I. Boomsma

Affiliation Netherlands Twin Register, Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

David Cesarini

Affiliation Center for Experimental Social Science, Department of Economics, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America

Francesco Cucca

Affiliation Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Cagliari, Italy

Eco J. C. de Geus

Affiliation Netherlands Twin Register, Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

George Dedoussis

Affiliation Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University of Athens, Athens, Greece

Panos Deloukas

Affiliation Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom

Maria Dimitriou

Affiliation Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University of Athens, Athens, Greece

Guðny Eiriksdottir

Affiliation Icelandic Heart Association, Kopavogur, Iceland

Johan Eriksson

Affiliations Diabetes Prevention Unit, Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland, Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland, Unit of General Practice, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland, Vaasa Central Hospital, Vaasa, Finland

Christian Gieger

Affiliation Institute of Genetic Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany

Vilmundur Gudnason

Affiliations Icelandic Heart Association, Kopavogur, Iceland, Department of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland

Birgit Höhne

Affiliations Institute of Genetic Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany, Institute of Epidemiology II, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany

Rolf Holle

Affiliation Institute of Health Economics and Health Care Management, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany

Jouke-Jan Hottenga

Affiliation Netherlands Twin Register, Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Aaron Isaacs

Affiliations Genetic Epidemiology Unit, Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Centre for Medical Systems Biology, Leiden, The Netherlands

Marjo-Riitta Järvelin

Affiliations Institute of Health Sciences and Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland, Department of Life Course and Services, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Oulu, Finland, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, MRC-HPA Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom

Magnus Johannesson

Affiliation Department of Economics, Stockholm School of Economics, Stockholm, Sweden

Marika Kaakinen

Affiliation Institute of Health Sciences and Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland

Mika Kähönen

Affiliations Department of Clinical Physiology, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland, Department of Clinical Physiology, University of Tampere School of Medicine, Tampere, Finland

Stavroula Kanoni

Affiliation Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom

Maarit A. Laaksonen

Affiliation Population Health Research Unit, Department of Health, Functional Capacity and Welfare, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland

Jari Lahti

Affiliation Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

Lenore J. Launer

Affiliation Laboratory of Epidemiology, Demography, and Biometry, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America

Terho Lehtimäki

Affiliations Department of Clinical Chemistry, Fimlab Laboratories, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland, Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Tampere School of Medicine, Tampere, Finland

Marisa Loitfelder

Affiliation Division for Neurogeriatrics, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria

Patrik K. E. Magnusson

Affiliation Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

Silvia Naitza

Affiliation Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Cagliari, Italy

Ben A. Oostra

Affiliation Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Markus Perola

Affiliations Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, Public Health Genomics Unit, Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, The National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland, Estonian Genome Center, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia

Katja Petrovic

Affiliation Division of General Neurology, Department of Neurology, General Hospital and Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria

Lydia Quaye

Affiliation Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom

Olli Raitakari

Affiliations Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland, Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

Samuli Ripatti

Affiliations Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, Public Health Genomics Unit, Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, The National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom

Paul Scheet

Affiliation Department of Epidemiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America

David Schlessinger

Affiliation National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America

Carsten O. Schmidt

Affiliation Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany

Helena Schmidt

Affiliation Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria

Reinhold Schmidt

Affiliation Division for Neurogeriatrics, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria

Andrea Senft

Affiliation Institut für Medizinische Biometrie und Statistik, Universität zu Lübeck, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany

Albert V. Smith

Affiliations Icelandic Heart Association, Kopavogur, Iceland, Department of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland

Timothy D. Spector

Affiliation Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom

Ida Surakka

Affiliations Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, Public Health Genomics Unit, Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, The National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland

Rauli Svento

Affiliation Department of Economics, Oulu Business School, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland

Antonio Terracciano

Affiliations National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America

Emmi Tikkanen

Affiliations Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, Public Health Genomics Unit, Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, The National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland

Cornelia M. van Duijn

Affiliations Genetic Epidemiology Unit, Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Centre for Medical Systems Biology, Leiden, The Netherlands

Jorma Viikari

Affiliations Department of Medicine, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland, Department of Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

Henry Völzke

Affiliation Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany

H. -Erich Wichmann

Affiliations Institute of Epidemiology I, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany, Institute of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Chair of Epidemiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany, Klinikum Grosshadern, Munich, Germany

Philipp S. Wild

Affiliations Center for Thrombosis and Hemostasis, University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany, Department of Medicine 2, University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany

Sara M. Willems

Affiliation Genetic Epidemiology Unit, Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Gonneke Willemsen

Affiliation Netherlands Twin Register, Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Frank J. A. van Rooij

Affiliation Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Patrick J. F. Groenen

Affiliation Econometric Institute, Erasmus School of Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

André G. Uitterlinden

Affiliations Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Albert Hofman

Affiliation Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

A. Roy Thurik

Affiliations Department of Applied Economics, Erasmus School of Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Panteia, Zoetermeer, The Netherlands, GSCM-Montpellier Business School, Montpellier, France

Competing Interests

The authors would like to declare financial support by Philips Medical Systems for the Gutenberg Health Study (GHS). Philips Medical Systems provided the ultrasound machines for the GHS and had no role in the current research. Hence, funding by Philips Medical Systems does not alter the authors' adherence to all the PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Author Contributions

Individual study design and management: GRA RB SB DIB DC FC EJCdG GD PD GE JE CG VG AH M-RJ MJ LJL BAO MP SR DS R. Schmidt COS TDS AT CMvD HV H-EW PSW GW. Data collection: SB DIB DC EJCdG MD JE RH M-RJ MJ M. Kähönen JL TL PKEM KP OR R. Schmidt AVS TDS FJAvR JV PSW GW. Genotyping: SB PD J-JH TL PKEM FR HS AVS AGU PSW GW. Genotype preparation: GRA J-JH TL PKEM FR HS AS AVS AGU. Phenotype preparation: GAA-B SEB SB DC NE BH M. Kähönen JL ML SN KP OR AVS AT MJHMvdL FJAvR JV PSW GW. Study data analysis: GRA SEB NE J-JH AI M. Kaakinen M. Kähönen SK MAL TL ML KP OR CAR AS PS AVS IS ET MJHMvdL JV SMW. Manuscript review: SEB DJB SB DIB DC GD GE NE PJFG AH RH J-JH MJ PDK MAL PKEM MP LQ FR DS R. Schmidt COS AS AVS R. Svento AT ART AGU FJAvR HV PSW. Analysis plan development: PDK MJHMvdL. Analysis plan review: FR FJAvR AGU. Meta-analyses: NE MJHMvdL. Manuscript preparation: CAR MJHMvdL. Heritability, accounted-for variance by common SNPs, and prediction analyses: CAR MJHMvdL. Review and interpretation of analyses: PJFG AH PDK CAR FR ART AGU MJHMvdL FJAvR. Conceived and designed the study: AH PDK ART. Organize and oversee consortium: AH ART.