About the Authors

Sandosh Padmanabhan

Affiliation Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Olle Melander

Affiliation Department of Clinical Sciences, Hypertension and Cardiovascular Diseases, University Hospital Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden

Toby Johnson

Affiliation Clinical Pharmacology and Barts and the London Genome Centre, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom

Anna Maria Di Blasio

Affiliation Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy

Wai K. Lee

Affiliation Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Davide Gentilini

Affiliation Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy

Claire E. Hastie

Affiliation Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Cristina Menni

Affiliations Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom, Università Milano-Bicocca, Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Prevenzione, Ospedale San Gerardo, Monza, Milano, Italy

Maria Cristina Monti

Affiliations Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy, Department of Health Science, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

Christian Delles

Affiliation Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Stewart Laing

Affiliation Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Barbara Corso

Affiliations Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy, Department of Health Science, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

Gerjan Navis

Affiliation Department of Nephrology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

Arjan J. Kwakernaak

Affiliation Department of Nephrology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

Pim van der Harst

Affiliation Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

Murielle Bochud

Affiliation University Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

Marc Maillard

Affiliation Service of Nephrology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

Michel Burnier

Affiliation Service of Nephrology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

Thomas Hedner

Affiliation Institute of Medicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

Sverre Kjeldsen

Affiliation Department of Cardiology, University of Oslo, Ullevaal Hospital, Oslo, Norway

Björn Wahlstrand

Affiliation Institute of Medicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

Marketa Sjögren

Affiliation Department of Clinical Sciences, Hypertension and Cardiovascular Diseases, University Hospital Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden

Cristiano Fava

Affiliations Department of Clinical Sciences, Hypertension and Cardiovascular Diseases, University Hospital Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden, Department of Medicine, Section of Internal Medicine C, University of Verona, Verona, Italy

Martina Montagnana

Affiliations Department of Clinical Sciences, Hypertension and Cardiovascular Diseases, University Hospital Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden, Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, Section of Clinical Chemistry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy

Elisa Danese

Affiliations Department of Clinical Sciences, Hypertension and Cardiovascular Diseases, University Hospital Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden, Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, Section of Clinical Chemistry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy

Ole Torffvit

Affiliation Department of Nephrology, Institution of Clinical Sciences, University Hospital of Lund, Lund, Sweden

Bo Hedblad

Affiliation Department of Clinical Sciences, Hypertension and Cardiovascular Diseases, University Hospital Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden

Harold Snieder

Affiliation Unit of Genetic Epidemiology and Bioinformatics, Department of Epidemiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

John M. C. Connell

Affiliation College of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, Ninewells Hospital, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom

Morris Brown

Affiliation Clinical Pharmacology Unit, University of Cambridge, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Nilesh J. Samani

Affiliation Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, United Kingdom

Martin Farrall

Affiliation Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Oxford, United Kingdom

Giancarlo Cesana

Affiliation Università Milano-Bicocca, Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Prevenzione, Ospedale San Gerardo, Monza, Milano, Italy

Giuseppe Mancia

Affiliation Università Milano-Bicocca, Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Prevenzione, Ospedale San Gerardo, Monza, Milano, Italy

Stefano Signorini

Affiliation Azienda Ospedaliera di Desio e Vimercate, Milano, Italy

Guido Grassi

Affiliation Università Milano-Bicocca, Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Prevenzione, Ospedale San Gerardo, Monza, Milano, Italy

Susana Eyheramendy

Affiliation Department of Statistics, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile

H. Erich Wichmann

Affiliations Institute of Epidemiology, 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

Maris Laan

Affiliation Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia

David P. Strachan

Affiliation Division of Community Health Sciences, St George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom

Peter Sever

Affiliation International Centre for Circulatory Health National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom

Denis Colm Shields

Affiliation Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Alice Stanton

Affiliation Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

Peter Vollenweider

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

Alexander Teumer

Affiliation Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany

Henry Völzke

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

Rainer Rettig

Affiliation Institute of Physiology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany

Christopher Newton-Cheh

Affiliations Center for Human Genetic Research and Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America

Pankaj Arora

Affiliations Center for Human Genetic Research and Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America

Feng Zhang

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

Nicole Soranzo

Affiliations Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom

Timothy D. Spector

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

Gavin Lucas

Affiliation Cardiovascular Epidemiology and Genetics Group, Institut Municipal d'Investigacio Medica, Barcelona, Spain

Sekar Kathiresan

Affiliations Center for Human Genetic Research and Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America

David S. Siscovick

Affiliation Cardiovascular Health Research Unit, Departments of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America

Jian'an Luan

Affiliation MRC Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Ruth J. F. Loos

Affiliation MRC Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Nicholas J. Wareham

Affiliation MRC Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Brenda W. Penninx

Affiliations Department of Psychiatry/EMGO Institute, Neuroscience Campus, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

Ilja M. Nolte

Affiliation Unit of Genetic Epidemiology and Bioinformatics, Department of Epidemiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

Martin McBride

Affiliation Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

William H. Miller

Affiliation Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Stuart A. Nicklin

Affiliation Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Andrew H. Baker

Affiliation Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Delyth Graham

Affiliation Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Robert A. McDonald

Affiliation Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Jill P. Pell

Affiliation Public Health and Health Policy Section, University of Glasgow, Glasgo, United Kingdom

Naveed Sattar

Affiliation Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Paul Welsh

Affiliation Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Global BPgen Consortium

For more information on the Global BPgen Consortium please see Text S1.

Patricia Munroe

Affiliation Clinical Pharmacology and Barts and the London Genome Centre, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom

Mark J. Caulfield

Affiliation Clinical Pharmacology and Barts and the London Genome Centre, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom

Alberto Zanchetti

Affiliations Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy, University of Milano, Milano, Italy

Anna F. Dominiczak

anna.dominiczak@glasgow.ac.uk

Affiliation Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: S Padmanabhan, O Melander, C Delles, A Zanchetti, AF Dominiczak. Performed the experiments: S Padmanabhan, AM Di Blasio, WK Lee, D Gentilini, S Laing, M Sjögren, P Welsh. Analyzed the data: S Padmanabhan, T Johnson, CE Hastie, C Menni, MC Monti, B Corso, G Navis, AJ Kwakernaak, P van der Harst, M Bochud, C Fava, M Montagnana, E Danese, M Farrall, S Eyheramendy, DP Strachan, A Teumer, R Rettig, C Newton-Cheh, P Arora, F Zhang, N Soranzo, G Lucas, J Luan, RJF Loos. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: O Melander, G Navis, P van der Harst, M Bochud, M Maillard, M Burnier, T Hedner, S Kjeldsen, B Wahlstrand, O Torffvit, B Hedblad, H Snieder, JMC Connell, M Brown, NJ Samani, M Farrall, G Cesana, G Mancia, S Signorini, G Grassi, S Eyheramendy, HE Wichmann, M Laan, DP Strachan, P Sever, DC Shields, A Stanton, P Vollenweider, A Teumer, H Volzke, R Rettig, C Newton-Cheh, P Arora, F Zhang, N Soranzo, TD Spector, G Lucas, S Kathiresan, DS Siscovick, J Luan, RJF Loos, NJ Wareham, BW Penninx, IM Nolte, P Munroe, MJ Caulfield, A Zanchetti, AF Dominiczak. Wrote the paper: S Padmanabhan, O Melander, T Johnson, C Delles, G Navis, M Bochud, M McBride, WH Miller, SA Nicklin, AH Baker, D Graham, RA McDonald, JP Pell, N Sattar, P Munroe, MJ Caulfield, A Zanchetti, AF Dominiczak.