Senior News Line
By MATILDA CHARLES

Need some solid, reliable information about health? I found three Web sites with information that can be trusted. If you don't have a computer, ask about using one at your library.

+ The National Institutes of Health has a Web site just for us, www.NIHSeniorHealth.gov, developed by the National Institute on Aging and the National Library of Medicine. Information on Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, stroke and everything in between - - it's all there.

Click on any link and you'll go to a page with more information, broken down into categories. Best of all - they really did their homework on this - all the text is large enough to read, and with a button to make it even bigger. There's even a "speech" button so all the information can be heard. Many topics have a video and a quiz.

+ Stanford University's online health library has a section for seniors. Go to healthlibrary.stanford.edu and click on "Senior Health." From there you can select health topics such as deafness, Parkinson's disease, nutrition and more. The links will take you to other sites.

While most of them allow direct access, some of the links go to NetLibrary, which requires that you have an account and log in. If you use a library computer, ask the librarian about getting access. Sometimes they'll already have a password and login information.

+ Another great site is the one by the Mayo Clinic (www.mayoclinic. com). Click on a letter to look up a disease or condition, and you'll go to an alphabetical listing. Don't miss the Healthy Living Center - click on "Senior Health." The "Independence and Safety" section was especially helpful, with a slide show about assistive devices for mobility. It even includes exercises to improve balance.

The more good information we have, the better we can maintain our health!

Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot personally answer reader questions. Do not send any material requiring return mail. Write to her in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL32853-6475, or send e-mail to letters.kfws@hearstsc.com.

(c) 2007 King Features Synd., Inc.