Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: Effect of Saffron Supplementation on Macular Cone-mediated Function in Age-related Macular Degeneration
Brief Summary: This is a pilot interventional study whose aim is to determine the effect of a dietary supplementation with a Crocus Sativus extract, Saffron, on macular cone-mediated function in patients with early age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Pre-clinical evidence ( Maccarone R, Di Marco S, Bisti S. Saffron supplement maintains morphology and function after exposure to damaging light in mammalian retina. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2008 Mar;49(3):1254-61.) indicates the potential effectiveness of Saffron as a retinal neuroprotectant in animal models of retinal degenerative disorders.The macular function will be tested by visual acuity and macular cone-mediated electroretinogram (focal electroretinogram, FERG) according to a standardized technique (see citations).


Options:
A: INCLUSION CRITERIA

1. DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

   * Healthy male physicians practicing in the United States
   * Prior participation in the Physicians' Health Study I allowed
2. PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

   * Aged 50 years and over
   * No history of serious illness that would preclude study participation
   * No history of significant adverse events (e.g., rash or allergic reaction) attributed to study agents
3. PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

   * No other concurrent vitamin and/or multivitamin supplementation
   * No concurrent vitamin K-depleting anticoagulants (e.g., warfarin)
B: When the Physicians Health Study was established in the early 1980s by the NHLBI to collect data on a stable population at risk for heart attack, only male physicians were studied because males were thought to be at higher risk than females for ischemic heart problems. The study population consists of 22,071 male U.S. physicians who were aged 40 to 84 years in 1982. The subjects have no history of myocardial infarction, cancer, kidney disease, renal disease, or any other contraindication to the use of aspirin or beta-carotene, including regular use of corticosteroids.
C: Inclusion Criteria:

* Men aged between 18 and 35 years, nonsmokers
* Body mass index between 15th and 85th percentile
* Normal findings in the medical history and physical examination unless the investigator considers an abnormality to be clinically irrelevant
* Normal laboratory values unless the investigator considers an abnormality to be clinically irrelevant
* Normal ophthalmic findings, ametropia \< 3 Dpt

Exclusion Criteria:

* Regular use of medication, abuse of alcoholic beverages, participation in a clinical trial in the 3 weeks preceding the study
* Treatment in the previous 3 weeks with any drug, vitamins and minerals supplements as well
* Symptoms of a clinically relevant illness in the 3 weeks before the first study day
* 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
* Blood donation during the previous 3 weeks
D: Inclusion Criteria:

* Age \> 55 yrs
* Diagnosis of Early, non exudative AMD
* Visual acuity of 20/40 or better

Exclusion Criteria:

* Concomitant ocular or systemic disorders which may affect macular function
* Drugs that may affect macular function

Answer: D