Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a common condition in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the arms or legs.

This condition also may be called peripheral arterial disease.

In PAD, the legs or arms — usually the legs — don't get enough blood flow to keep up with demand. This may cause leg pain when walking, called claudication, and other symptoms.

Peripheral artery disease is usually a sign of a buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries, a condition called atherosclerosis.

Symptoms

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) may not cause symptoms, or symptoms may be mild. PAD symptoms include:

• Leg pain when walking.
• Muscle pain or cramping in the arms or legs, often in the calf.
• Muscle pain in the arms or legs that begins with exercise and ends with rest.
• Painful cramping in one or both of the hips, thighs or calves after walking or climbing stairs or other activities.
• Pain when using the arms, such as aching and cramping when knitting or writing.
• Coldness in the lower leg or foot, especially when compared with the other side.
• Leg numbness or weakness.
• No pulse or a weak pulse in the legs or feet.

The muscle pain in peripheral artery disease may:

• Be mild to extreme.
• Wake you up from sleep.
• Make it hard to walk or exercise.
• Occur during rest or when lying down if the condition is severe.

Other symptoms of PAD may include:

• Shiny skin on the legs.
• Skin color changes on the legs.
• Slow-growing toenails.
• Sores on the toes, feet or legs that won't heal.
• Hair loss or slower hair growth on the legs.
• Erectile dysfunction.