All clinical trials have guidelines about who can participate. These guidelines, or criteria, are used to identify appropriate volunteers and ensure that they can participate safely. The criteria for a particular study may include such factors as age, gender, the type and severity of a disease or condition, previous treatment history, and other medical conditions or complications. Inclusion criteria are the factors that qualify volunteers to participate. Exclusion criteria disqualify people from the study. For food allergy trials, criteria may include the type of food allergy you have, whether or not you have a history of severe reactions or other conditions such as asthma, and so on.
