There are no guaranteed suggestions for how to preventPeyronie’s disease(PD)—a condition in which scar tissue inside thepeniscauses curved, painfulerections. Scientists do not know exactly what causes it. But since trauma to the penis is thought to contribute, avoiding injuries to the penis may help.
This article describes the causes and risk factors of Peyronie’s disease and ways to possibly reduce your risk of this surprisingly common penis disorder.
What Is Peyronie’s Disease?
Peyronie’s disease is a condition in which areas of scar tissue, called plaques, develop on the thick, elastic membrane covering the inner shaft of the penis. The membrane, called thetunica albuginea, supports the penis during an erection, keeping it rigid and in a relatively straight position.
Over time, as plaques accumulate, they can pull on surrounding tissues and cause the tunica albuginea to buckle—sometimes spontaneously—leading to an abnormal bend or curve of the erect penis.
In severe cases, Peyronie’s disease can cause pain and discomfort even when the penis is soft (flaccid). The erect penis size may also be markedly shorter or narrower around the site of the bend.
Causes of Peyronie’s Disease
Peyronie’s disease is not contagious. It is notsexually transmitted, nor something you can otherwise get from someone else. While that is established, no one knows the exact cause of Peyronie’s disease and why some males get it and others don’t.
It is thought thatgeneticsmay predispose certain people to the disorder, in part because white males are more likely to get PD than males of other races. Even so, no specific gene has been linked to Peyronie’s disease, and all males can—and sometimes do—get it, typically after the age of 40.
Beyond genetics, there are two possible explanations for why some males get PD:
Other factors can increase the risk of PD, including cigarette smoking,diabetes, andhypertension(high blood pressure). All three conditions can impair blood flow to the penis and starve tissues of the oxygen and nutrients they need to remain strong and stable.
How Common Is Peyronie’s Disease?Peyronie’s disease is more common than many people think, since many cases go unreported. Current research suggests that the number of people with PD in the United States may well exceed 10%.That is roughly one in 25 males between the ages of 40 and 50, and around one in 15 males age 60 and over.
How Common Is Peyronie’s Disease?
Peyronie’s disease is more common than many people think, since many cases go unreported. Current research suggests that the number of people with PD in the United States may well exceed 10%.That is roughly one in 25 males between the ages of 40 and 50, and around one in 15 males age 60 and over.
Peyronie’s Disease Prevention Strategies
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), there is little evidence that any intervention can outright prevent Peyronie’s disease. Despite what some people might tell you, diet and nutrition play no role in the prevention of PD.
This doesn’t mean you can’t reduce some of the risk factors associated with PD. Doing so may or may not prevent the disease in the end, but it will at the very least ensure that you have a healthier penis over the long term.
Verywell / Laura Porter
Here are some measures you might consider:
Exercises for Peyronie’s Disease
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Penile curvature (Peyronie’s disease).Carson C.Peyronie’s disease: new paradigm for the treatment of a unique cause of erectile dysfunction.Postgrad Med.2020 Dec;132(sup4):4-8. doi:10.1080/00325481.2020.1805865Gabrielsen JS.Peyronie’s disease: is it genetic or not?Transl Androl Urol.2020 Mar;9(Suppl 2):S262–8. doi:10.21037/tau.2019.10.21Ventimiglia E, Capogrosso P, Collichia M.Peyronie’s disease and autoimmunity—a real-life clinical study and comprehensive review.J Sex Med. 2015 Apr;12(4):1062-9. doi:10.1111/jsm.12825Pavone C, D’Amato F, Dispensa N, Torretta F, Magno C.Smoking, diabetes, blood hypertension: possible etiologic role for Peyronie’s disease? Analysis in 279 patients with a control group in Sicily.Arch Ital Urol Androl. 2015 Mar 31;87(1):20-4. doi:10.4081/aiua.2015.1.20Stuntz M, Perlaky A, des Vignes F, Kyriakides T, Glass D.The prevalence of Peyronie’s disease in the United States: a population-based study.PLoS One.2016;11(2):e0150157. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0150157
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Penile curvature (Peyronie’s disease).Carson C.Peyronie’s disease: new paradigm for the treatment of a unique cause of erectile dysfunction.Postgrad Med.2020 Dec;132(sup4):4-8. doi:10.1080/00325481.2020.1805865Gabrielsen JS.Peyronie’s disease: is it genetic or not?Transl Androl Urol.2020 Mar;9(Suppl 2):S262–8. doi:10.21037/tau.2019.10.21Ventimiglia E, Capogrosso P, Collichia M.Peyronie’s disease and autoimmunity—a real-life clinical study and comprehensive review.J Sex Med. 2015 Apr;12(4):1062-9. doi:10.1111/jsm.12825Pavone C, D’Amato F, Dispensa N, Torretta F, Magno C.Smoking, diabetes, blood hypertension: possible etiologic role for Peyronie’s disease? Analysis in 279 patients with a control group in Sicily.Arch Ital Urol Androl. 2015 Mar 31;87(1):20-4. doi:10.4081/aiua.2015.1.20Stuntz M, Perlaky A, des Vignes F, Kyriakides T, Glass D.The prevalence of Peyronie’s disease in the United States: a population-based study.PLoS One.2016;11(2):e0150157. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0150157
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Penile curvature (Peyronie’s disease).Carson C.Peyronie’s disease: new paradigm for the treatment of a unique cause of erectile dysfunction.Postgrad Med.2020 Dec;132(sup4):4-8. doi:10.1080/00325481.2020.1805865Gabrielsen JS.Peyronie’s disease: is it genetic or not?Transl Androl Urol.2020 Mar;9(Suppl 2):S262–8. doi:10.21037/tau.2019.10.21Ventimiglia E, Capogrosso P, Collichia M.Peyronie’s disease and autoimmunity—a real-life clinical study and comprehensive review.J Sex Med. 2015 Apr;12(4):1062-9. doi:10.1111/jsm.12825Pavone C, D’Amato F, Dispensa N, Torretta F, Magno C.Smoking, diabetes, blood hypertension: possible etiologic role for Peyronie’s disease? Analysis in 279 patients with a control group in Sicily.Arch Ital Urol Androl. 2015 Mar 31;87(1):20-4. doi:10.4081/aiua.2015.1.20Stuntz M, Perlaky A, des Vignes F, Kyriakides T, Glass D.The prevalence of Peyronie’s disease in the United States: a population-based study.PLoS One.2016;11(2):e0150157. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0150157
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Penile curvature (Peyronie’s disease).
Carson C.Peyronie’s disease: new paradigm for the treatment of a unique cause of erectile dysfunction.Postgrad Med.2020 Dec;132(sup4):4-8. doi:10.1080/00325481.2020.1805865
Gabrielsen JS.Peyronie’s disease: is it genetic or not?Transl Androl Urol.2020 Mar;9(Suppl 2):S262–8. doi:10.21037/tau.2019.10.21
Ventimiglia E, Capogrosso P, Collichia M.Peyronie’s disease and autoimmunity—a real-life clinical study and comprehensive review.J Sex Med. 2015 Apr;12(4):1062-9. doi:10.1111/jsm.12825
Pavone C, D’Amato F, Dispensa N, Torretta F, Magno C.Smoking, diabetes, blood hypertension: possible etiologic role for Peyronie’s disease? Analysis in 279 patients with a control group in Sicily.Arch Ital Urol Androl. 2015 Mar 31;87(1):20-4. doi:10.4081/aiua.2015.1.20
Stuntz M, Perlaky A, des Vignes F, Kyriakides T, Glass D.The prevalence of Peyronie’s disease in the United States: a population-based study.PLoS One.2016;11(2):e0150157. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0150157
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