Random effects meta-analysis (Fig. 3g) of genetic associations with infarcts and with blood SMAD3 levels in ADNI and MCSA revealed 6 intronic SMAD3 variants (rs71400360, rs12904527, rs12909923, rs71400361, rs35779650, rs28564777) that had nominally significant associations (p < 0.05) with both lower risk of brain infarcts and with higher blood levels of SMAD3. Results for sex- and APOE-ε4-stratified association analyses revealed similar directions of effect as in unstratified analyses (Supplementary Data 35, Supplementary Information). This evidence concerns the gene APOE and brain infarction.