Skip to main content
PEN - The Global Resource for Nutrition Practice

Endocrine and Metabolic – Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS)

Message to Our Readers

We use the term polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) as a replacement for the
condition formerly known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) following an international
consensus process (1). The change reflects a better understanding of the condition as a complex,
heterogeneous, multisystem endocrine and metabolic syndrome rather than primarily an ovarian disorder.
The new name highlights three key features of the condition: polyendocrine, recognizing involvement of
multiple endocrine pathways; metabolic, emphasizing the important metabolic component and
associated long-term health risks; and ovarian, acknowledging the continued importance of ovarian and
reproductive manifestations.

Reference 

  1. Teede HJ, Khomami MB, Morman R, Laven JSE, Joham AE, Costello MF, Patil M, Rees DA,
    Berry L, Cree MG, Zhao H, Norman RJ, Dokras A, Piltonen T; Global Name Change Consortium.
    Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, the new name for polycystic ovary syndrome: a
    multistep global consensus process. Lancet. 2026 Jun 6;407(10545):2329-2339. doi:
    10.1016/S0140-6736(26)00717-8. Epub 2026 May 12. PMID: 42119588. Abstract available from:
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42119588/