If you have been living with PCOS, or trying to get answers for symptoms that no one seems to fully explain, you may have already seen the news. PCOS has officially been renamed. The new term is Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome, or PMOS, following a landmark global consensus published in The Lancet in May 2026 (The Lancet, 2026).
At first glance, the PCOS new name may sound like a small medical update. For millions of women, the change represents something much bigger. It is a long-overdue shift toward recognising the condition for what it truly is, a whole-body hormonal and metabolic condition rather than an issue centred on the ovaries.
Quick answer: PCOS has been officially renamed PMOS, short for Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome. The change was published in The Lancet in May 2026 and endorsed by more than 50 patient and professional organisations. The new name reflects the condition's full reality as a multisystem endocrine and metabolic disorder, not just a reproductive issue.
Lifestyle matters for fertility. A BMC Public Health study found that women with 4–5 healthy habits had a 59% lower risk of infertility.
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takes 3 minutes to completeThe term polycystic ovary syndrome was created nearly 100 years ago. Doctors at the time observed small fluid-filled structures on the ovaries alongside irregular periods and elevated androgen levels, and the condition became known as PCOS. The name stayed.
Over time, researchers realised the name was misleading. Many women diagnosed with the condition do not actually have ovarian cysts, experience symptoms far beyond reproductive health, and struggle primarily with metabolic and hormonal symptoms. The 'cysts' seen on ultrasound are usually immature follicles rather than true ovarian cysts.
For many patients, the old name narrowed how the condition was understood, diagnosed, and treated. A clear understanding PCOS and its multisystem effects had been building for years, but the terminology lagged behind the science.
The new name reflects what research now understands about the condition. Each part of PMOS carries specific meaning.
Multiple hormone systems are involved, including insulin, reproductive hormones, and androgen pathways. The condition is no longer framed as primarily reproductive.
PMOS strongly affects metabolism, insulin sensitivity, blood sugar regulation, energy levels, and long-term cardiovascular health.
The ovaries still play an important role in the condition. The change in name does not erase that involvement.
PMOS is not one single disease with one single cause. It is a collection of interconnected symptoms and biological processes that present differently between individuals.
For years, many women were only taken seriously once fertility became a concern. PMOS, however, affects far more than ovulation.
It can impact:
This breadth is one reason the name change matters so much. It acknowledges that PMOS is a multisystem endocrine condition rather than simply a reproductive disorder. A wider introduction to PCOS under its previous framing already pointed in this direction, but the new terminology makes the systemic reality central rather than incidental.
This content is for educational purposes only. It has been reviewed for scientific accuracy, but it does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding medical questions or fertility treatment decisions.
Reviewed for scientific accuracy by: Dr. Mona Bungum
Last reviewed: May 2026
Lifestyle matters for fertility. A BMC Public Health study found that women with 4–5 healthy habits had a 59% lower risk of infertility.
Fill out the questionnaire, and get a personalised, holistic and evidence-based programme tailored to you.
takes 3 minutes to completeMany women with PMOS describe years of delayed diagnosis, fragmented care, being told to 'just lose weight', and feeling dismissed or misunderstood. The old terminology contributed to that experience.
When a condition is framed mainly around ovaries and cysts, symptoms such as fatigue, blood sugar dysregulation, anxiety, or metabolic dysfunction are easier to overlook. The updated name helps create a more complete medical understanding of what patients have been experiencing all along.
If you were diagnosed with PCOS, your diagnosis is still valid. PCOS is now being referred to as PMOS, but the core diagnostic criteria remain the same.
Doctors still assess for combinations of irregular or absent ovulation, elevated androgen levels, and polycystic ovarian appearance or elevated AMH levels. What is changing is the framework around the condition.
PMOS is increasingly being recognised as an endocrine and metabolic condition first, with reproductive effects as part of the picture. Practical guidance on how do I know if I have PCOS still applies, although a thorough assessment now usually includes metabolic screening as a matter of course rather than as an afterthought.
One of the biggest shifts in understanding PMOS is the recognition that insulin resistance is central to the condition for many women.
Insulin resistance does not only affect blood sugar. It can also increase androgen production, disrupt ovulation, worsen inflammation, and affect appetite and energy regulation. It contributes to symptoms such as acne, fatigue, and weight changes. Importantly, insulin resistance can occur even in women who are not overweight.
This is part of why balancing blood sugar has become one of the most consistently helpful starting points for managing PMOS symptoms, alongside medical care.
Lifestyle support is not about blame or perfection. It is about supporting the underlying hormonal and metabolic processes involved in PMOS.
Research shows that nutrition, movement, sleep, and stress management can all positively influence insulin sensitivity and symptom severity.
Helpful approaches to nutrition for PCOS often include:
No single approach to PCOS and diet works for everyone. Consistency matters more than perfection, and supplements for PCOS can play a supporting role when used alongside the basics rather than as a substitute for them.
Exercise can improve insulin sensitivity and hormonal health, even without weight loss. Walking, strength training, cycling, swimming, and resistance exercise can all support metabolic health. The best movement is the kind you can realistically sustain.
Poor sleep and chronic stress can worsen hormonal dysregulation and insulin resistance. That is why sleep and fertility, nervous system regulation, and recovery are increasingly recognised as important parts of PMOS care, alongside structured managing stress practices.
PMOS can carry a significant emotional burden. Anxiety, depression, body image struggles, and disordered eating are all more common in women with the condition. Mental health support is not separate from PMOS care. It is part of it.
The name change from PCOS to PMOS is more than a terminology update. It reflects a growing understanding that this condition is real, complex, systemic, and deeply connected to metabolic and hormonal health.
For patients, that hopefully means earlier diagnosis, more integrated care, better metabolic screening, greater awareness among healthcare professionals, and treatment that looks beyond fertility alone.
For those navigating reproductive aspects of PMOS, established guidance on improve fertility with PCOS and the wider range of fertility treatments for PCOS still applies. Many women with the condition can also get pregnant naturally with PCOS, particularly when metabolic and lifestyle factors are addressed alongside any clinical care.
These are some of the most common questions people are searching for since the PCOS new name was announced.
PCOS was renamed because the old term was misleading. Many women with the condition do not have ovarian cysts, and the symptoms reach well beyond reproductive health. The new name, PMOS, reflects the condition as a multisystem endocrine and metabolic disorder rather than a purely ovarian one.
PMOS stands for Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome. The name highlights the involvement of multiple hormone systems, the central role of metabolic health, the continued relevance of the ovaries, and the fact that the condition is a syndrome with multiple interconnected features.
The rename was published in The Lancet on 12 May 2026 following a multiyear global consensus process. More than 50 patient and professional organisations endorsed the change.
No. PMOS is not a new condition. It is the same condition previously known as PCOS, with a new name that better reflects what research now understands about the underlying biology.
No. If you were diagnosed with PCOS, your diagnosis remains valid. The core diagnostic criteria, including irregular ovulation, elevated androgens, and polycystic ovarian appearance or elevated AMH, are unchanged. Only the framework around the condition has shifted.
There is no biological difference. PMOS is the same condition under a new name. The difference is in how the condition is framed, with the new name placing greater emphasis on its multisystem, metabolic, and endocrine features.
Yes, PMOS can affect fertility through irregular or absent ovulation, hormonal imbalance, and insulin resistance. Many women with PMOS conceive naturally, particularly when metabolic and lifestyle factors are addressed. Others benefit from medical fertility support.
Insulin resistance is now recognised as central to PMOS for many women. It can drive androgen production, disrupt ovulation, increase inflammation, and contribute to weight, energy, and skin symptoms. Insulin resistance can occur even in women who are not overweight.
Yes. Nutrition, movement, sleep, and stress management can all improve insulin sensitivity and reduce PMOS symptom severity. Lifestyle support does not replace medical care, but it consistently improves outcomes when used alongside it.
If you have spent years feeling like your symptoms did not fully fit the old definition of PCOS, you are not alone. The science has been evolving for some time, and the language is finally evolving with it.
PMOS is not a new condition. But the new name helps better describe the full reality of what so many women have been experiencing for years. And that matters.
