The daily exercise is the most important thing. Use it or lose it!

I'd like to caution about aspirin and other blood thinners. Do not, repeat, DO NOT take any blood-thinning medication such as aspirin without consulting your doctor. Insist on a blood coagulation test! If I take even a small dose of aspirin, I start bleeding from the capillaries within my eyes. I still think that frequent use of aspirin may have been partially responsible for the detached retina I suffered 10 years ago, but that's definitely a non-medical opinion. But I haven't taken aspirin since and the folks at my HMO's anti-coagulation clinic agree that I shouldn't take it. If you've ever had an ulcer or any other kind of stomach or intestinal bleeding, you don't want to take aspirin either. Not everyone needs a blood thinner; for some it can be dangerous.

You need always to remind your doctor or dentist if you're taking aspirin or other blood-thinning medication if they order any kind of surgery. (Don't expect them to remember it--you need to take charge of your own medical care.) Even a simple tooth extraction can lead to excessive bleeding if you don't go off such medication 2-3 weeks beforehand.

I've seen a number of references about the Ginko Biloba, mostly that it's ineffective, but I plan to try it the next time I go to high altitude. Can't hurt, might help. Far better, though, to plan a routine of climb high, sleep low for the first several days at high altitude.