Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a common women’s health disorder, has officially been renamed after an international consensus led by endocrine and reproductive health experts. PCOS will now be known as Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS), according to findings published in the medical journal The Lancet. The condition, which affects nearly 170 million women during their reproductive years worldwide, has long been criticised for having a medically misleading name that failed to reflect the full scope of the disorder.
The move follows more than a decade of consultations involving clinicians, researchers and patient advocacy groups from multiple countries. More than 50 patient and professional organisations, including the Endocrine Society, participated in the process to develop the new terminology.
From PCOS To PMOS: Why Experts Pushed for a Name Change
The push to rename the condition has been gaining momentum for years, with experts arguing that the term “PCOS” focused too heavily on ovarian cysts despite many women with the condition not developing cysts at all.
A paper published in The Lancet on May 12 formally announced the adoption of the new name – Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome, or PMOS.
The experts in the process said that the old terms have led to miscomprehension by patients and health care workers. Confusion often arose from the term ‘cysts’ and the attention given to the ovaries did not reflect the more comprehensive impacts of the condition on hormones and metabolism.
In PMOS, hormones shift, leading to changes in body weight, metabolism, mental well-being, skin condition and reproduction.
What is PMOS, the Erstwhile PCOS?
Researchers say that the condition extends far beyond reproductive health, adding that the previous name failed to capture the syndrome’s impact on metabolism, endocrine function, mental health and cardiovascular risk.
The change of names is likely to raise awareness and increase research into the disorder. Advocates hope the new terms will also unlock more research and give doctors and patients a better understanding.
Why Name Change Matters in India
In particular, the development has relevance to India, where millions of women are impacted with PCOS and which has become increasingly linked to obesity, diabetes, infertility, and mental health issues.
Indian researchers have repeatedly warned that the disorder remains underdiagnosed and is frequently misunderstood as only a fertility-related condition instead of a lifelong metabolic disorder.
Professor Helena Teede Led the Renaming Initiative
The renaming process was led by Helena Teede, Director of the Monash Centre for Health Research & Implementation and an endocrinologist at Monash Health.
Teede, who has spent decades researching the condition, said the previous terminology no longer reflected current medical understanding.
“What we now know is that there is actually no increase in abnormal cysts on the ovary, and the diverse features of the condition were often unappreciated,” said Teede, who is also a member of the Endocrine Society.
She also highlighted the challenges patients have historically faced in receiving proper diagnosis and treatment.
“It was heart-breaking to see the delayed diagnosis, limited awareness and inadequate care afforded those affected by this neglected condition.”
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
