PCOS is now called polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome. What does this updated name mean for women living with the condition and for the health professionals who treat them?
PCOS has been officially renamed PMOS (polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome.) This is the result of a years-long process involving no less than 56 organisations and more than 22,000 people, including some 14,000 patients.
The name change was announced in a consensus paper published in the Lancet in May 2026. Its new name more accurately reflects the condition’s wide range of symptoms, hormonal (polyendocrine) complexity and metabolic features.
PMOS affects approximately one in eight women, however it can take up to 12 years to diagnose. It is estimated that 70 per cent of women may not even know they have the condition.
The previous name, polycystic ovarian syndrome, was imprecise and confusing for patients and health professionals alike. Specifically, it implies that ovarian cysts are the defining feature of the condition. Not only does this minimise the impact of PMOS and limit understanding among both patients and health professionals, but it isn’t even the case for many women, meaning many diagnoses were delayed or missed.
Women with PMOS are more likely to experience insulin resistance and develop type 2 diabetes, although metabolic health is not always routinely checked. They also can have a higher likelihood of weight changes, fatty liver, cardiovascular health concerns, depression, anxiety, sleep apnoea and endometrial cancer.
In obscuring the ‘diverse endocrine and metabolic features’ of the condition, say researchers, the inaccurate name contributed to delayed diagnoses, fragmented care and stigma. It also curtailed research.
What is the connection between PMOS and diabetes?
Insulin resistance is a core feature of PMOS. Women with PMOS have a significantly increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The rename puts these metabolic features front and centre rather than treating them as secondary to reproductive concerns and will hopefully lead to earlier screening and treatment.
Previously, few women were warned of their lifelong increased risk of metabolic disease but were told their symptoms were a weight or fertility issue.
The shift encourages earlier screening for metabolic risk factors, more holistic care and better recognition of PMOS as a long-term metabolic condition requiring support and management well beyond the childbearing years.
Health professionals managing diabetes will now be more aware that patients with PMOS may benefit from integrated metabolic and reproductive care. Rather than focusing only on ovaries and hormonal symptoms, GPs can now monitor risk factors for type 2 diabetes (including HbA1C), cardiovascular disease (blood pressure and cholesterol levels) and depression in patients with PMOS.
There isn’t currently a cure for PMOS, but there are a range of ways it can be managed. These include lifestyle changes, such as reviewing diet and physical activity, along with medications when needed, which include contraceptives, metformin or GLP-1 receptor agonists.
Researchers envisage that bringing the name in line with science will make a tangible difference to women living with the condition. They hope that this new name will mean teenage girls are identified sooner, that health professionals will have a better appreciation of the condition’s complexity and long-term health impact, and that it will be easier to secure funding to study the disorder in greater detail.
Diabetes WA welcomes this new name and what it means for women at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
“Changing the name from PCOS to PMOS can help people better understand their condition and how it may affect their overall health, outside of reproduction,” says Diabetes WA’s Carly Luff. “It will also make it easier for people to get the right support earlier.”
Do you have a question about PMOS and type 2 diabetes?
Call the Diabetes WA Helpline on 1300 001 880 to speak to one of our diabetes educators.
