Connie Newman, MD

My main interests are statin safety and intolerance and the effects of statins on cardiovascular disease. I have designed, conducted, and analyzed efficacy and safety data from large cardiovascular outcomes trials of statins in various populations, including patients with diabetes, stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease.

My research has involved the following:

• evaluating the effects of atorvastatin 10 mg on heart attacks and stroke in about 2,500 patients with diabetes, as part of the steering committee of the Collaborative Atorvastatin Diabetes Study (CARDS)
• analyzing safety data from the Study of the Effectiveness of Additional Reductions in Cholesterol and Homocysteine, or SEARCH, and the Study of Heart and Renal Protection, or SHARP
• performing meta-analyses of safety data from trials of statins, including a meta-analysis of cancer events and deaths in 27 randomized controlled trials of various statins in about 170,000 patients and meta-analyses of safety data from early clinical trials of atorvastatin
• serving as a member of the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists’ Collaboration

In addition, I was a member of the steering committee of the Biochemical Efficacy and Safety Trial of Vitamin D, or BEST-D. This randomized double-blind trial in people older than 65 years evaluated the effects of one year of vitamin D treatment at either 4,000 IU or 2,000 IU per day, compared with placebo. Outcomes measured included levels of vitamin D, parathyroid hormone, and calcium; other safety parameters; and selected cardiovascular endpoints such as arterial stiffness, blood pressure, and lipids.

I am currently chair of the task force for the Endocrine Society’s clinical practice guideline on lipid management in patients with endocrine disorders, including type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Previously, I studied mammary gland growth and development and the role of novel pituitary factors in primate and rodent models. My earlier clinical research focused on new therapies for the treatment of pituitary tumors, including the effects of somatostatin analogues in patients with acromegaly. I have also investigated the effects of growth hormone replacement on cardiopulmonary function in growth-hormone–deficient adults.