Effects of Lutein Supplementation on Macular Pigment Optical Density and Visual Acuity in Patients With Age-related Macular Degeneration

November 13, 2014 updated by: Gerhard Garhofer, Medical University of Vienna

The macular pigment (MP) in humans consists of the yellow, blue-absorbing carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. The highest concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin are found in the fovea. Since light entering the eye passes through the MP before reaching the photo receptors it absorbs a significant portion of short-wavelength light. There is evidence that this absorbing properties of the MP as well as the ability of inactivating highly reactive oxygen species are protective for the retina.

Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness among developed countries. The pathogenesis of this disease remains unknown. There is, however, evidence that low fruit and vegetable consumption increases the risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Accordingly, it has been hypothesized that lutein supplementation may be beneficial in AMD. The present study investigates whether 6 months lutein supplementation increases MP optical density (OD), influences visual acuity, depth and dimension of central scotoma and alters symptoms in patients with AMD.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

126

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Austria
      • Vienna, Austria
        • Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

50 years to 90 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with nonexudative AMD (either categories 2, 3 or 4 according to the AREDS criteria; in group 4 the eyes with no-advanced AMD will be included, Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group 2001)
  • Age between 50 and 90 years
  • Clear non-lenticular ocular media
  • Visual acuity > 0.4

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Primary retinal pigment epithelium atrophy > 125 µm
  • Moderate or severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, proliferative diabetic retinopathy
  • Participation in a clinical trial in the 3 weeks preceding the study
  • Previous treatment with lutein within 3 month of study initiation
  • History of hypersensitivity to the trial drug or to drugs with a similar chemical structure
  • History or presence of gastrointestinal, liver or kidney disease, or other conditions known to interfere with, distribution, metabolism or excretion of study drugs
  • Ocular surgery within the last 6 months
  • Treatment with photosensitizing drugs

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: 2
Placebo
Dietary supplement: placebo
Placebo capsules identical in taste and appearance
Active Comparator: 1
Lutamax
Dietary supplement: lutamax (leutein)
leutein 20 mg for 3 months, then lutein 10 mg

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Macular pigment optical density (MPOD) as measured with optical reflectometry
Time Frame: 5 minutes
5 minutes

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Visual acuity using ETDRS charts
Time Frame: 15 minutes
15 minutes
Central visual field defects assessed with scanning laser scotometry
Time Frame: 30 minutes
30 minutes
Changes in fundus appearance as documented with fundus photos
Time Frame: 5 minutes
5 minutes
Determination of an increased systemic antioxidative state in plasma and low density lipoprotein and Plasma lutein concentrations
Time Frame: 5 minutes
5 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Medical University of Vienna

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Ursula Schmidt-Erfurth, Prof. Dr., Department of Opthalmology, Medical University of Vienna

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

November 1, 2006

Primary Completion (Actual)

April 1, 2011

Study Completion (Actual)

May 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 9, 2009

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 9, 2009

First Posted (Estimate)

April 10, 2009

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

November 14, 2014

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 13, 2014

Last Verified

November 1, 2014

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • OPHT-100205

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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