The results presented in this study were meta-analyzed using a weighted Z-score method61, where the Z-scores are weighted by the square root of the sample size of the cohort. For cis-eQTL and trans-eQTL meta-analyses, this resulted in a final sample size of up to 31,684. The combined eQTS meta-analysis included only unrelated individuals from the Framingham Heart Study, resulting in a combined sample size of up to 28,158. Considering that our analysis contained many different gene expression and genotyping platforms, we limited our meta-analysis to associations present in at least two cohorts in order to reduce platform-specific effects. Specifics for each meta-analysis (cis-eQTL, trans-eQTL, eQTS) are detailed below.
