#pmos

Edit: this syndrome affects women, nonbinary folks and trans men. Please excuse the language in the informatic.

in light of the recent renaming

The summary from The Lancet (12 May 2026): "Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), previously named polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), affects one in eight women. However, the term PCOS is inaccurate, implying pathological ovarian cysts, obscuring diverse endocrine and metabolic features, and contributing to delayed diagnosis, fragmented care, and stigma, while curtailing research and policy framing. Building on an international mandate for change, we outline an unprecedented, rigorous, multistep global consensus process for the name change. Funding and governance were established with engagement of 56 leading academic, clinical, and patient organisations. Using iterative global surveys (with responses from 14 360 people with PCOS and multidisciplinary health professionals from all world regions), modified Delphi methods, nominal group technique workshops, and marketing and implementation analyses, we identified principles prioritising scientific accuracy, clarity, stigma avoidance, cultural appropriateness, and implementation feasibility. An accurate new name was prioritised over retaining the PCOS acronym or a generic name. Implementation approaches prioritised evolution rather than transformation. Preferred terms were polyendocrine, metabolic, and ovarian, reflecting the condition's multisystem pathophysiology, and polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome was the consensus new name. Accuracy was improved by omitting cysts and by capturing endocrine, metabolic, and ovarian dysfunction. A co-designed global implementation strategy, including a transition period, education, and alignment with health systems and disease classification, is under way."

Hey why is this clade called “False Crocodiles” when it contains all crocodiles? Oh, it used to be classified differently and only included an offshoot of crocodile-like animals, but now it includes the entire crocodile branch of the archosaur family tree? So, now all crocodiles are false crocodiles? Uh huh. ok. great.

Why is PCOS being renamed? The main reason is that it is a misnomer. Not only can people have the condition without having polycystic ovaries, but the condition does not involve cysts. There is another problem with the name PCOS: “It implies it’s all about the ovary, which it’s not,” Duncan says. Franks agrees. “It’s a disorder in the ovary, but there are other manifestations which are equally if not more important in terms of metabolic abnormalities.” ... The name change to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome is the fruit of years of international effort and, it is hoped, will tackle the misleading aspects of the PCOS label. In particular PMOS reflects the long-term, complex nature of the health condition, emphasising that it is a hormonal or “endocrine” disorder that can affect the body’s reproductive and metabolic systems and is associated with multiple health conditions.

The change was published in The Lancet, but here is an abridged article from the Endocrine Society if you just want the major details.