CHECKUP KEEPING MUSCLES FIT AND STRONG IN OLDER MEN.

Byline: - From Staff Reports

A SHORT COURSE of hormone therapy appears to increase muscle strength in men over age 60, USC researchers have found. In the study, men who took supplemental androgen therapy daily for 12 weeks had stronger muscles, both in the upper and lower body, than those who took a placebo, said Dr. Todd Schroeder of USC's Department of Medicine.

The study monitored 32 men between 60 and 87 years old. Hormone therapy benefits seniors with initially low testosterone levels the most, Schroeder said. USC researchers plan to include women in future studies, since androgens also are important for maintaining bone mass.

EYE-OPENING: Dr. Donald Goldstein and Dr. Alan Mandelberg will speak on glaucoma and present the latest advance in laser treatment at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, at A Center for Vision Care in North Hollywood. SLT laser treatment lowers eye pressure by using short pulses of low-energy laser light. A Center for Vision Care is located at 4418 Vineland Ave., Suite 106, North Hollywood. For more information, call [phone], Ext. 125.

Also this month, Dr. Deborah Banker of the Malibu Life Center will offer free prevention vision screenings. The first 50 people to contact the center at [phone] and mention this article will be screened by appointment at no cost for visual fields and visual acuity (distance and near).