Lifestyle

7 Signs of Poor Circulation in the Legs Most People Blame on Getting Older

By Erica Coleman · October 30, 2026

Aching calves on a walk, a foot that always feels cold, or thinning leg hair are easy to chalk up to age. They can also be signs that the arteries in the legs are narrowing.

The condition is called peripheral artery disease, or PAD. Mayo Clinic describes it as a common condition in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the arms or legs, most often the legs. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute says PAD is caused by atherosclerosis, or plaque buildup, and that more than 8 million people ages 40 and older in the United States have it.

The symptoms are easy to miss. The NHLBI says about 1 in 4 people with PAD experience the common symptoms, more than half have nontypical symptoms, and about 1 in 5 report no symptoms at all.

These are seven signs listed by the NHLBI and Mayo Clinic.

Leg pain when walking that stops with rest. Pain, aching, heaviness or cramping that comes on when walking or climbing stairs and goes away after rest is called intermittent claudication. The NHLBI calls it the most common PAD symptom and says the pain is often in the calf but can also be felt in the buttocks, thigh or foot. Mayo Clinic says it may even wake you from sleep.

One foot colder than the other. Mayo Clinic lists coldness in the lower leg or foot, especially when compared with the other side.

Skin that changes color or looks shiny. The NHLBI says a foot or leg may become pale, discolored or blue. Mayo Clinic also lists shiny skin on the legs.

Less leg hair and slow-growing toenails. According to the NHLBI, toenails and leg hair may stop growing. Mayo Clinic lists hair loss or slower hair growth on the legs and slow-growing toenails.

Sores that are slow to heal. Sores or wounds on the toes, feet or legs may heal slowly or not at all, the NHLBI says, and they may become infected.

Numbness, weakness or pins and needles. The NHLBI says leg weakness or numbness may make you feel off balance or make it harder to walk, and some people feel pain or pins and needles in the leg or foot.

A weak pulse in the feet. Mayo Clinic lists no pulse or a weak pulse in the legs or feet. It also lists erectile dysfunction among other possible symptoms in men.

Mayo Clinic lists risk factors that include smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, a family history of PAD, heart disease or stroke, and increasing age, especially after 65, or after 50 for people with risk factors for atherosclerosis. The NHLBI says most people in the United States who have PAD are 65 or older.

The concern goes beyond the legs. The NHLBI says people with PAD may also have plaque buildup in arteries leading to the heart and brain, putting them at higher risk of stroke or heart attack. Without treatment, it adds, PAD may cause sores, infections and even the loss of a limb.

The usual first test is simple. The NHLBI says the ankle-brachial index test compares the blood pressure in the ankle with the blood pressure in the arm, using a blood pressure cuff and an ultrasound device, and is painless. The institute advises people who smoke, have high blood pressure or have other risk factors to ask their provider about testing even without symptoms.

Mayo Clinic advises making an appointment for a checkup if you have leg pain or other symptoms of PAD.

This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Talk with your doctor about any symptoms, and call 911 for chest pain or signs of a stroke. This article was produced with the assistance of AI and fact-checked against the sources cited by LightWave Reports.