Michelle Porter
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Michelle Porter
@um-coa-porter.bsky.social

Director, Centre on Aging, University of Manitoba

Engineering 39%
Public Health 21%

"The group is inviting the public to the church [Westwood Community Church] on Nov. 18, for a senior men’s health fair.

The free event starts at 11:30 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m., and will feature exhibits and presentations related to men’s... health..."

www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...
Winnipeg organization providing vital social connections for senior men
From musician to real estate agent to volunteer, Brian McMillan has done a lot in his life. “I always joke around that the only thing I was trained to do was be a rock star and when that didn’t work o...
www.winnipegfreepress.com

“In terms of the number of cases, last year was probably the worst influenza season Canada had had in a decade, and it seems like that could occur again this year in terms of severity of disease.”

"While this year’s shot may not be perfectly matched to the newer form of H3N2 that could dominate in the months ahead, all three medical experts stressed it’s always worth getting, particularly for Canadian seniors."

www.cbc.ca/news/health/...
Canada could face ‘worst kind’ of flu season as experts warn evolving strain may be mismatch for vaccine | CBC News
With flu cases now rising in Canada, medical experts are bracing for a difficult influenza season linked to the global spread of an evolving H3N2 strain that could be a mismatch for this year’s vaccin...
www.cbc.ca

Reposted by Michelle M. Porter

Join us next week as we celebrate the students!
Nov 21 | 1:30–3:30 PM
Student awards event & presentations
Register on Zoom: tinyurl.com/72hxtwk4
The Centre on Aging will announce the students in aging award recipients. Join us to hear research presentations from the award recipients & STAR group.

Vaccination rates are slowly increasing - still under 40% for both COVID-19 and Influenza in the 65+ age group.

Severe outcomes for Influenza are increasing but still there are higher numbers for COVID-19, for the week of Oct 26 to Nov 1, 2025, in MB.

www.gov.mb.ca/health/publi...

"There were 7,622 senior victims of police-reported family violence in 2024....Just over one-third (34%) of all senior victims of violence were victimized by a family member. Since 2018, the rate of family violence against seniors has increased by 49%."

www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quo...
The Daily — Trends in police-reported family violence and intimate partner violence in Canada, 2024
According to police services in Canada, in 2024, there were 349 victims of family violence per 100,000 population, and 356 victims of intimate partner violence per 100,000 population aged 12 and older...
www150.statcan.gc.ca

Family violence against seniors reaches record high in Canada: StatsCan

Senior victims of family violence most often victimized by their child

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Family violence against seniors reaches record high in Canada: StatsCan | CBC News
Family violence against seniors in Canada has reached a record high, according to a new Statistics Canada report. The rate of family violence against seniors nationwide has increased by 49 per cent si...
www.cbc.ca

A new US report on aging in place

An important point from this report is how ageism is a barrier to planning: "a pervasive culture of ageism fuels stigma and undermines proactive dialogue and preparation."

Shifting narratives are needed.

milkeninstitute.org/content-hub/...
LinkedIn
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Budget cuts international student permits by 65 per cent in 2026

Carney government also proposes $1.7 billion to recruit international researchers.

universityaffairs.ca/news/budget-...
Budget cuts international student permits by 65 per cent in 2026 - University Affairs
Carney government also proposes $1.7 billion to recruit international researchers.
universityaffairs.ca

The government's definition of seniors is those who are 65 and older, which includes the following three generations: baby boomer generation, interwar generation, and the greatest generation. Boomers this year are 60 to 79 years old.

www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recen...
A generational portrait of Canada’s aging population from the 2021 Census
This Census in Brief article examines recent trends in the age structure of the Canadian population in 2021 from the angle of generations. It provides some insights on the size and growth of the diffe...
www12.statcan.gc.ca

It is curious that the "baby boom generation" is specifically mentioned in the age description but not in any of the summary notes associated with the specific measures and how they will impact different age groups. Is it realized by the writers that "seniors" and "boomers" are not identical terms?

Here is the text related to age groups:

"Age: expected benefits from a generational perspective

- Predominantly youth, children and/or future generations
- Predominantly seniors or the baby boom generation"

Budget 2025 has an annex entitled A Stronger Canada Through Diversity, which describes impacts for various groups, including two groups based on age.

budget.canada.ca/2025/report-...
Annex 6: Impacts report | Budget 2025
Annex 6: Impacts report — Part of Budget 2025.
budget.canada.ca

"Waking up to relieve your bladder, formally known as nocturia, is only a medical issue if you have to do it more than twice a night — or if you have trouble going back to sleep afterward..."

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/w...
Is Waking Up to Pee Normal?
www.nytimes.com

The Editor Got a Letter From ‘Dr. B.S.’ So Did a Lot of Other Editors.

The rise of artificial intelligence has produced serial writers to science and medical journals, most likely using chatbots to boost the number of citations they’ve published.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/s...
The Editor Got a Letter From ‘Dr. B.S.’ So Did a Lot of Other Editors.
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Michelle M. Porter

Affiliates Drs. Phil St. John & Robert Tate are co-authors

Initial Presentation of Ischemic Heart Disease Over the Life Course of Aging Men: The Manitoba Follow Up Study. St John, Philip Donald et al. Canadian Journal of Cardiology, Volume 41, Issue 10, 1924–1926: onlinecjc.ca/article/S082...
Initial Presentation of Ischemic Heart Disease Over the Life Course of Aging Men: The Manitoba Follow Up Study
Symptomatic ischemic heart disease (IHD) may first present as a myocardial infarction (MI),1 as stable or unstable angina,1 or as sudden unexpected cardiac death (SUCD; death within 24 hours of the fi...
onlinecjc.ca

Reposted by Michelle M. Porter

🚨 AI = more junk BS in knowledge base! 🚨

Letters to scientific journals surge as ‘prolific debutante’ authors likely use AI
www.science.org/content/arti... via @science.org

“The legitimate discussion risks being drowned by the synthetic noise.”
Letters to scientific journals surge as ‘prolific debutante’ authors likely use AI
New study reinforces worries about “mass production of junk” by unscrupulous scholars aiming to pad their CVs
www.science.org

Still more severe outcomes associated with COVID-19 than Influenza but they are increasing for Influenza, in the latest report (week of Oct 19 to 25) for Manitoba. Vaccination rates for 65+ are up to 26.8% for COVID-19 and 32.4% for Influenza.

Reposted by Michelle M. Porter

Join the Centre on Aging for our next seminar!
Ethics & equity in telerehabilitation for older adults and the future of digital health
Nov 28 | 2:30 – 3:30 PM
Dr. Mirella Veras, Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy, College of Rehabilitation Sciences
Register on Zoom: tinyurl.com/yc7ht7dr

Reposted by Michelle M. Porter

The Centre on Aging's biweekly updates for the week of Oct 31 is now online: mailchi.mp/f2a6928c3829...

In this issue, read about Affiliate Dr. Mackenzie's research, volunteer for a research study, register for a Centre event, and more!

Their Professors Caught Them Cheating. They Used A.I. to Apologize

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/u...
Their Professors Caught Them Cheating. They Used A.I. to Apologize.
www.nytimes.com

Advance requests for MAID ‘generally supported,’ national consultations find

www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
Advance requests for MAID ‘generally supported,’ national consultations find
Roundtable participants voice concerns about how to move ahead with procedure without final consent
www.theglobeandmail.com

"Because of intense research on Covid over the past five years, scientists now know that it directly damages the endothelium, or lining, of blood vessels in the heart and lungs. That leads to localized inflammation, which can cause clots to form."

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/w...
Covid and Flu Can Triple Your Risk of Heart Attack
www.nytimes.com

For week 42 (Oct 12 to 18, 2025) there were many severe outcomes associated with COVID-19 in Manitoba, but none for Influenza. Vaccination rates both COVID-19 and Influenza continue to be low even for those 65+ (<20%).

www.gov.mb.ca/health/publi...

"A major outstanding question is whether the drug will be publicly covered; in Britain, the body that advises the National Health Service recommended against publicly covering lecanemab, arguing the benefits were too small to justify the cost."

www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
Excitement around Alzheimer’s treatment tempered by questions about efficacy, accessibility
Health Canada recently authorized use of lecanemab, but experts say the drug is an incremental benefit, not a cure
www.theglobeandmail.com

Reposted by Michelle M. Porter

Nov 21 | 1:30–3:30 PM
Student awards event & presentations
Register on Zoom: tinyurl.com/72hxtwk4

Join us on Nov 21, as the Centre on Aging will announce the students in aging award recipients.
Recipients and STAR members will briefly present their research. Support our students by attending!