My husband and I want to plan a trip to Aspen in the early winter. We have heard that the height there poses a problem for those with any sort of vascular problems. Is this true?

Altitude issues can present real concerns for healthy and fit individuals but even more so for those with medical conditions. As always, it is best to consult with your own physician about it and its' effect on your specific medical concerns.

Age, overall health, level of fitness all figure in. Not drinking alcohol, drinking lots of water and taking a few days to acclamate is the best general advice.

That said - for general info on altitude adjustment, please read the following threads:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34865407

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34935779

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34832093

Hope this helps..
Debi

It can. I would play it safe and talk to your husband's doctor.

According to

www.aspenpitkin.com/misc/visitors/visitors.cfm

the elevation of Aspen is 7908 feet (2433 meters). Some people would experience altitude sickness at that height, some people wouldn't. I suggest you
1) do an Internet search for
"altitude sickness"
to get more info on the topic.
2) check with your family physician for advice. Nobody on this site can diagnose how well (or poorly) you would handle that altitude based on whatever medical condition you may (or may not) have; only your doctor can.

How would you get to Aspen? When checking with your doctor, make sure you get clearance for 10,000 ft, not just Aspen's 7,900 ft, if you are going to be driving to Aspen or in the surrounding mountains.

i used to live in leadville (just over the mtn from aspen and alt. 10,312) when my father came to visit he had problems breathing. the local hospital, apparently quite accustomed to such issues, as they will be in aspen, gave him a small portable oxygen tank and that seemed to fix the problem.
definetly speak with your doctor. he may be able to phone ahead to an aspen doc or at least tell you what to be cautious of a/or how to deal with problems.

In any case, don't plan any physical activities the first day. And no alcohol and no coffee. Drink plenty of water. Rest.

Advice to see your doctor is excellent. Altitude can be a real problem for people with cardiac issues, especially congestive heart failure, though there are medications that can help.

We were in Breckenridge in May. I had a problem with the altitude for about three days-really bad headaches. I guess I adjusted to the altitude after that and I was fine. I didn't have any problems at all in Denver.