Peyronie’s disease (PD) is a connectivetissue disorder which can result in penile deformity. The prevalence ofdiagnosed PD in the United States (US) has been estimated to be 0.5% in adultmales, but there is limited additional information comparing definitive andprobable PD cases. We conducted a population-based survey to assess PD prevalenceusing a convenience-sample of adult men participating in the ResearchNowgeneral population panel. Respondents were categorized according to PD status(definitive, probable, no PD) and segmented by US geographic region, education,and income levels. Of the 7,711 respondents, 57 (0.7%) had definitive PD while850 (11.0%) had probable PD. Using univariate logistic regression modeling,older age (18–24 vs 24+) (OR = 0.721; 95% CI = 0.570,0.913),Midwest/Northeast/West geographic region (South vs Midwest/Northeast/West) (OR= 0.747; 95% CI = 0.646,0.864), and higher income level (<25K vs 25K+) (OR =0.820; 95% CI = 0.673,0.997) were each significantly associated with reducedodds of having a definitive/probable PD diagnosis compared with no PD diagnosis.When all three variables were entered in a stepwise multivariable logisticregression, only age (OR = 0.642; 95% CI = 0.497, 0.828) and region (OR =0.752; 95% CI = 0.647, 0.872) remained significant. This study is the first toreport PD prevalence by geographic region and income, and it advocates that theprevalence of PD in the US may be higher than previously cited. Further, giventhe large discrepancy between definitive PD cases diagnosed by a physician andprobable cases not diagnosed by a physician, much more needs to be done toraise awareness of this disease.

The prevalence of peyronie’s disease in the United States: A population-based study
Message from Deerfield Managing Partner, James E. Flynn
Over the course of the last few months, images of unimaginable human loss in the midst of a pandemic have been continuously in front of us. The impact, however, has not been evenly distributed. Here in Upstate New York, over 17% of the deaths from Covid-19 have been among Black people, despite the fact they represent less than 10% of the population.
These data serve to highlight the deep biases that remain embedded in society that relate to access to care. The imbalance in the composition of leadership and boards of healthcare companies demonstrates clearly that this bias is just as strong when considering access to opportunity.
Recent disturbing acts of violence have brought added focus to how Black people and other minority groups are treated, even in the hands of those whose job it is to protect. While these acts have gained greater attention in recent weeks, partly because of the outrage expressed by people of every demographic, each day there are uncountable acts of this nature that go unnoticed.
We must capture this moment of raised awareness and heightened energy to effect real change. We must do better. Not only because we have to, but because we want to.
At Deerfield, we are strong advocates for diversity of backgrounds and ideas, and we are deeply committed to maintaining an inclusive work environment for people of all races, ethnicities, genders, religions, and sexual orientations.
Through our Deerfield Fellows program, we have proactively engaged a diverse group of students from the City University of New York (CUNY) to create opportunities to learn about careers in healthcare finance and entrepreneurship. We now count many of these talented individuals as our colleagues.
Through the Deerfield Foundation, we’ve made investments that address the social determinants of health in communities of color, both here in the U.S., as well as in Africa and Asia. In addition, we have created Break into the Boardroom and Women in Science programs to drive change in gender diversity in the boardroom and entrepreneurship.
However, we, too, must do more, and will. We believe that providing platforms for the voices of a diverse set of stakeholders introduces new, and better ideas. And in the case of healthcare, it could spark more inclusive and creative solutions to the industry’s complex set of challenges.
We must address society’s social inequities, including in patient care. We must partner with our local communities in the fight against racism and other injustices. We must acknowledge the pain, grief, and fear that many families are feeling now, and we must listen to those families. Only then can we begin the path toward sustained structural change and healing.
The times ahead will be tough, as our nation continues to face many public health, economic, and social challenges. Despite these challenges, we must find a way to use this time of despair as an opportunity to come together and create solutions.