Atrophy of calf muscles
People with more advanced PAD may experience atrophy, or a reduction in the size of their calf muscle. On the microscopic level, a lack of adequate blood flow can lead to a decline in the number and size of muscle fibers.
In fact, those with severe PAD can lose more than half of their muscle fibers in an affected area, and the remaining muscle fibers tend to atrophy or shrink in size.
