PCOS to PMOS: Why the Name Change Matters
In late spring 2026 a large panel of experts, patients and representatives of professional organisations such as The Endocrine Society agreed on a new name for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS. This decision had been a long time in the making. 14 years of clinical research and global professional and patient consensus eventually culminating in the decision to rename PCOS to PMOS. PMOS stands for Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome. But what is PMOS and why is the name change important?
What is PMOS?
In order to understand why the decision to rename the condition was taken, we need to first understand what the condition is. PMOS is an endocrine disorder affecting 1 in 8 women with widespread, multi-system consequences. Put simply, it involves fluctuations in hormones that effect weight, metabolism, mental health, skin and reproductive systems. Not every person with PMOS experiences the same symptoms or the same severity of symptoms.
One of the main hormones involved in PMOS is insulin, which is often raised due to insulin resistance. This can lead to increased production of hormones such as testosterone.
These hormonal fluctuations can lead to weight gain. This can further increase insulin production and also makes it harder to lose weight. Other common features include:
- Irregular or absent periods and difficulty getting pregnant.
- Excessive body and facial hair growth
- Thinning of the hair on your head
- Oily skin or acne
- Fatigue and brain fog
- Increased risk of developing conditions such as type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol.
These hormonal imbalances can also cause persistent raised levels of inflammation. This can reduce muscle strength and mass. Therefore affecting the musculoskeletal health and posture as well as the metabolic health of the individual.
We do not know ultimately why this condition happens, but it does seem to run in families.
So why does the name change matter?
The name PCOS highlights only the reproductive element of the condition rather than reflecting the whole body issue that it really is. It is also misleading as it implies that you have to have polycystic ovaries in order to have polycystic ovarian syndrome, but this is not the case.
In fact research has shown that having PCOS/PMOS is not correlated to having increased ovarian cysts at all. Although it undeniably affects the ovaries and the reproductive system, it is not necessarily being caused by pathological ovarian cysts. So not only does the name PCOS put the focus on only one aspect of the condition but it is also inaccurate as you can have PCOS/PMOS without having polycystic ovaries.
This leads to a fundamental misunderstanding of what the conditions is and what it means. This causes delayed or missed diagnosis, but it also means communication between doctors and patients and even the wider public is less effective. By focussing only on the reproductive aspect of this issue it further leads to inadequate treatment for those who do manage to get diagnosed by addressing only one part of the disorder.
So, by changing the name to better reflect the true nature of PMOS, reframing it as the complex multi system condition that it is and highlighting the central role of metabolic dysfunction including insulin resistance and raised insulin levels, it should mean earlier diagnosis, better public understanding and more effective and comprehensive treatments for the 170 million people affected per year.
Check out our last blog by Chiropractor Nadene, “Nadene’s Home Birth Story 2”.
