The MVP sample added substantially to our ability to discover new loci. Two of the most powerful prior studies conducted to date7,8 had substantial contributions from the UK Biobank. UK Biobank and MVP represent large and non-overlapping samples with consistent phenotypic assessments. This consistency in collection reduces ascertainment heterogeneity within samples and likely increases power to detect new loci. Adding another massive homogenously phenotyped sample here allowed us to discover 77 more loci than previously identified. It also provides a novel large independent cohort for conducting post-GWAS analyses, leveraging the substantial resources already produced by others in the field to improve understanding.
