Harold Snieder - Selected Publications#

Google scholar H-index 112 (56,450 citations, i10-index 410)

Fraszczyk E, Spijkerman AMW, Zhang Y, Brandmaier S, Day FR, Zhou L, Wackers P, Dollé MET, Bloks VW, Gào X, … Snieder H (2022). Epigenome-wide association study of incident type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis of five prospective European cohorts. Diabetologia 2022, 65:763-776.

In this first meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of incident type 2 diabetes we identified and replicated >60 methylation markers.

Zhang J, Thio CHL, Gansevoort RT, Snieder H. Familial Aggregation of CKD and Heritability of Kidney Biomarkers in the General Population: The Lifelines Cohort Study. Am J Kidney Dis. 2021 Jun;77(6):869-878.

This study reports familial risk and heritabilities on kidney function and damage of >167,000 participants of the unique Lifelines Cohort and Biobank study. An editorial in the same issue was devoted to the paper: Carlassara, L, Gharavi, AG (2021). Familal aggregation of CKD: Gene or environment? Am J Kidney Dis. 2021 Jun;77(6):861-862.

Wang B, Wu T, Neale MC, Verweij R, Liu G, Su S, Snieder H. Genetic and Environmental Influences on Blood Pressure and Body Mass Index in the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council World War II Veteran Twin Registry. Hypertension. 2020 Nov;76(5):1428-1434.

This is the largest twin study with measured (rather than self-reported) weight, height, and blood pressure (BP).

Tegegne BS, Man T, van Roon AM, Asefa NG, Riese H, Nolte I, Snieder H. Heritability and the Genetic Correlation of Heart Rate Variability and Blood Pressure in >29 000 Families: The Lifelines Cohort Study. Hypertension. 2020 Oct;76(4):1256-1262.

This study reports heritabilities and genetic overlap of cardiac autonomic function and blood pressure in >167,000 participants of the unique Lifelines Cohort and Biobank study.

Küpers LK, Monnereau C, Sharp GC, Yousefi P, Salas LA, Ghantous A, Page CM, Reese SE, Wilcox AJ, Czamara D, Starling AP, Novoloaca A, Lent S, Roy R, Hoyo C, Breton CV, Allard C, Just AC, Bakulski KM, Holloway JW, Everson TM, Xu CJ, Huang RC, van der Plaat DA, Wielscher M, Merid SK, Ullemar V, Rezwan FI, Lahti J, van Dongen J, Langie SAS, Richardson TG, Magnus MC, Nohr EA, Xu Z, Duijts L, Zhao S, Zhang W, Plusquin M, DeMeo DL, Solomon O, Heimovaara JH, Jima DD, Gao L, Bustamante M, Perron P, Wright RO, Hertz-Picciotto I, Zhang H, Karagas MR, Gehring U, Marsit CJ, Beilin LJ, Vonk JM, Jarvelin MR, Bergström A, Örtqvist AK, Ewart S, Villa PM, Moore SE, Willemsen G, Standaert ARL, Håberg SE, Sørensen TIA, Taylor JA, Räikkönen K, Yang IV, Kechris K, Nawrot TS, Silver MJ, Gong YY, Richiardi L, Kogevinas M, Litonjua AA, Eskenazi B, Huen K, Mbarek H, Maguire RL,

Dwyer T, Vrijheid M, Bouchard L, Baccarelli AA, Croen LA, Karmaus W, Anderson D, de Vries M, Sebert S, Kere J, Karlsson R, Arshad SH, Hämäläinen E, Routledge MN, Boomsma DI, Feinberg AP, Newschaffer CJ, Govarts E, Moisse M, Fallin MD, Melén E, Prentice AM, Kajantie E, Almqvist C, Oken E, Dabelea D, Boezen HM, Melton PE, Wright RJ, Koppelman GH, Trevisi L, Hivert MF, Sunyer J, Munthe-Kaas MC, Murphy SK, Corpeleijn E, Wiemels J, Holland N, Herceg Z, Binder EB, Davey Smith G, Jaddoe VWV, Lie RT, Nystad W, London SJ, Lawlor DA*, Relton CL*, Snieder H*, Felix JF*. Meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies in neonates reveals widespread differential DNA methylation associated with birthweight. Nat Commun. 2019 Apr 23;10(1):1893. *shared last authors

In this first meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of birthweight we showed widespread differential DNA methylation. (138 cites)

Nolte IM, Munoz ML, Tragante V, Amare AT, Jansen R, Vaez A,…, …, Brundel BJJM, Heckbert SR, Whitsel EA, den Hoed M, Snieder H*, de Geus EJC*. Genetic loci associated with heart rate variability and their effects on cardiac disease risk. Nat Commun. 2017, 14;8:15805. *shared last authors

This meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) was the first to identify genetic loci for cardiac autonomic function measured by heart rate variability. (88 cites)

Bosker FJ, Hartman CA, Nolte IM, Prins BP, Terpstra P, Posthuma D, van Veen T, Willemsen G, Derijk RH, de Geus EJ, Hoogendijk WJ, Sullivan PF, Penninx BW, Boomsma DI, Snieder H*, Nolen WA*. Poor replication of candidate genes for major depressive disorder using genome-wide association data (2011). Molecular Psychiatry, May;16(5):516-32. *shared last authors.

This highly cited systematic review (408 cites) of candidate gene studies in major depression convincingly showed that most of these results could not be replicated.

Wang X, Poole JC, Treiber FA, Harshfield GA, Hanevold CD, Snieder H (2006). Ethnic and gender differences in ambulatory blood pressure trajectories: Results from a 15-year longitudinal study in youth and young adults. Circulation, 114, 2780-2787.

This well cited paper (174 cites) made an important contribution to our understanding of racial differences in blood pressure. An editorial in the same issue highlighted this: Jones D.W., Hall J.E. (2006). Racial and Ethnic Differences in Blood Pressure: Biology and Sociology. Circulation, 114;2757-2759

MacGregor, A.J., Snieder, H., Rigby, A.S., Kaprio, J., Aho, K., Silman, A.J. (2000). Characterising the quantitative genetic contribution to rheumatoid arthritis using data from twins. Arthritis & Rheumatism, 43, 30-37.

This landmark paper (1526 cites) was the first to quantify the genetic contribution to rheumatoid arthritis.

Snieder, H., MacGregor, A.J. & Spector, TD. (1998). Genes control the cessation of a woman’s reproductive life. A twin study of hysterectomy and age at menopause. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 83, 1875-1880.

This paper was among the first to quantify the genetic contribution to age at menopause. Highly cited (473 cites). A commentary on this paper was published in the Lancet: Treloar SA, Do K-A, Martin NG (1998). Genetic influences on the age at menopause. Lancet, 352, 1084-1085.