25/05/2026
The condition affecting one in eight women just got a new name.
PCOS is now PMOS - polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome - following a global consensus process led by Monash University and published in The Lancet this month.
The old name was misleading. "Polycystic" suggested cysts on the ovaries, but those small formations are actually immature follicles. And the condition was never really just about the ovaries - it sits across the endocrine, metabolic, and reproductive systems, with insulin resistance affecting around 85 percent of people who have it.
The new name reflects what it actually is:
- Polyendocrine - involving many hormones
- Metabolic - involving how the body uses energy
- Ovarian - the follicular changes that remain part of the picture
Up to 70 percent of people with the condition are still undiagnosed. A clearer name can support earlier recognition - and a fuller understanding of a whole-body condition.
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Reference: Teede et al. The Lancet, May 2026.