In the endarterectomy sequesters from surgically treated patients with advanced carotid atherosclerosis, there was an increase in the numerical areal density of SMAD3-positive cells in subjects with the T allele in comparison to those with the C allele (41 ± 6/mm2 versus 25 ± 4/mm2; p < 0.001) (Figure 1). Here, SMAD3 is linked to carotid atherosclerosis.