All posts tagged: PCOS

What renaming PCOS to PMOS could mean for the future of women’s health

What renaming PCOS to PMOS could mean for the future of women’s health

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the Well Enough newsletter with Harry Bullmore for tips on living a healthier, happier and longer life Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore “Hopeful,” “excited” and “helpful” for the future of women’s health — these are just some of the words expressed by the team that worked together for more than a decade to change the name polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). PMOS is a chronic condition associated with diabetes, heart disease, depression, infertility, pregnancy complications and a general decreased quality of life. It affects an estimated one in eight women worldwide, and about one in 10 Canadian women, yet the World Health Organization estimates that 70%t of those affected have never received a diagnosis. Why the name has changed The term PCOS was inaccurate, because there is no increase in abnormal ovarian cysts. Rather, the hallmark of this condition is follicles, or little fluid sacs, around partly developed eggs, which are caused when development is disrupted by a …

PCOS is now PMOS. Millions of women might now get better diagnosis, treatment

PCOS is now PMOS. Millions of women might now get better diagnosis, treatment

Published by Sam Flores

A major international effort to rename polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is drawing attention to one of the most common — and most widely misunderstood — hormonal conditions affecting women worldwide, and what decades of medical language may have obscured in the process. As of this week, the condition is now being reclassified as polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), following a global consensus process led by endocrinology experts and patient advocacy organizations, including the Endocrine Society. The change reflects a broader scientific understanding of the condition as a multisystem disorder that affects metabolic, hormonal, reproductive and mental health — not simply a condition defined by ovarian cysts. For years, experts say, the name “polycystic ovary syndrome” contributed to confusion in both clinical and public understanding. Many patients were told they did not have PCOS if cysts were not visible on ultrasound, despite the fact that ovarian cysts are not required for diagnosis. The Cleveland Clinic notes that symptoms instead vary widely and can include irregular menstrual cycles, elevated androgen levels, acne, hair growth or loss, infertility …

PCOS Is Now PMOS: Name Change, Reason, Symptoms Explained

PCOS Is Now PMOS: Name Change, Reason, Symptoms Explained

Published by Sam Flores

Recently, the condition formerly known as polycystic ovary syndrome – PCOS for short – was renamed to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, or PMOS. More than 50 organisations were involved in the process of developing the new name. Researchers say they made the change to more accurately address how the condition affects people, calling the old term “inaccurate”. Here, we asked Eve Lepage, a reproductive health specialist at period cycle tracker Clue, for her thoughts on why the change was needed, whether she thinks it’s a good idea, and the signs of PMOS. Why was PCOS changed to PMOS? The new name describes how the condition works more precisely, Lepage explained. PCOS implies that the main issue involves cysts in people’s ovaries. But, Lepage said, decades of research suggest it’s more complicated than that: PMOS can affect a variety of other systems “including metabolism, cardiovascular health, and mental health”. Additionally, the expert explained that “one of the biggest misconceptions about PCOS is built into the name itself: the ‘cysts’ aren’t actually cysts at all”. She continued: …

6 early signs of PCOS that are often overlooked

6 early signs of PCOS that are often overlooked

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the Well Enough newsletter with Harry Bullmore for tips on living a healthier, happier and longer life Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore The NHS has stated that it will consider recommendations to rename polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) amid growing calls to reduce delays in diagnosis. According to Verity, the leading UK charity for PCOS, the condition affects around one in eight women in the UK, but experts say that misunderstandings about cysts and an overemphasis on the ovaries often leads to late diagnoses. A new consensus statement published in The Lancet, led by researchers at Monash University in Australia, has proposed renaming the condition polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) instead, to more accurately reflect its wider impact on the body. While NHS England considers the proposed change, misconceptions about this common condition persist and many symptoms are still frequently overlooked. We spoke to Dr Lucy Hooper, co-founder of Coyne Medical, who has explained what the current diagnosis process for PCOS involves, and has …

PCOS has been officially renamed PMOS, and it’s a momentous move

PCOS has been officially renamed PMOS, and it’s a momentous move

Published by skeptic

The “cysts” (light pink) seen in polycystic ovary syndrome aren’t really cysts at all STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has finally got a new name. Today at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Prague, Czech Republic, endocrinologist Helena Teede announced it will now be known as polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). This might not sound like much of a change, but it is a boon for those of us with the condition. For one, it addresses a huge misconception about how the ovaries are affected. It also draws much-needed attention to the metabolic and hormonal dimensions of the condition that have nothing to do with our ovaries. Things have changed enormously since I was diagnosed with PCOS more than two decades ago, in my late teens. I had terrible acne and irregular periods, two common symptoms, and was sent for an ultrasound to investigate. I was appalled to see my ovaries covered in dark spots, so-called “cysts”. I was told I might not be able to have children, and that there was …

PCOS postpones perimenopause and allows pregnancies at older ages

PCOS postpones perimenopause and allows pregnancies at older ages

Published by skeptic

An MRI scan of polycystic ovaries (green) GUSTOIMAGES/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is notorious for disrupting hormones and fertility, but it may have some surprising benefits after the age of 40. Ageing seems to naturally reshape the affected ovaries, making periods more regular, delaying perimenopause and increasing fertility. “Over the years, we’ve had so many women with PCOS telling us how they thought they would never be able to get pregnant without ART [assisted reproductive technology] and then they were so surprised because it happened in their 40s,” says Terhi Piltonen at Oulu University Hospital in Finland. “We call these children that they never thought they would have ‘evening stars’.” Piltonen and her colleagues studied how PCOS influences the menopausal transition using data from 1849 women who were born in Finland in 1966 and had had regular health checks ever since as part of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort study. When the women were 31 years old, 380 of them met the criteria for PCOS, meaning they had at least two of three …

‘It took over a decade for me to be diagnosed with PCOS – women deserve better’

‘It took over a decade for me to be diagnosed with PCOS – women deserve better’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the Well Enough newsletter with Harry Bullmore for tips on living a healthier, happier and longer life Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore I first went to the doctor about my heavy periods when I was 16. The pain was so bad that it made me throw up. For years, I was in and out of doctors’ appointments, trying to get help for the same issue. It took until 2020 – when I was 28 – for me to be diagnosed with PCOS. PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) is a hormone imbalance that affects ovaries, periods and fertility in about one in 10 women in the UK. The condition is associated with pregnancy complications, a higher risk of heart disease, and a general decreased quality of life. Yet, it’s estimated by the World Health Organisation that up to 70 per cent of women who have it worldwide remain undiagnosed. I’d never even heard of PCOS until I found out I had it. The doctor diagnosed …

‘My painful and irregular periods were dismissed for a decade before PCOS diagnosis’

‘My painful and irregular periods were dismissed for a decade before PCOS diagnosis’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the Well Enough newsletter with Harry Bullmore for tips on living a healthier, happier and longer life Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore A woman who endured a decade of debilitating menstrual pain and irregular periods has revealed how doctors repeatedly dismissed her symptoms before she was finally diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Olivia Ferro, 26, from Chicago, United States of America, began experiencing severe stomach pains around her periods at age 14. Her concerns were initially brushed off as “hormone changes” by medical professionals. However, at 15, a burst ovarian cyst necessitated an emergency appendectomy. Despite this, Ms Ferro continued to suffer from chronic pelvic pain and bloating, leading to her being prescribed birth control at 15 in an attempt to alleviate her symptoms. After moving to London in 2024 she launched a women’s health company focusing on GLP-1 medication with her sister, Chloe. open image in gallery Olivia and her sister, Chloe (Collect/PA Real Life) At the time, her periods were …

Tell us about your experience living with PCOS | Polycystic ovary syndrome

Tell us about your experience living with PCOS | Polycystic ovary syndrome

Published by Sam Flores

More than one in 10 women of reproductive age have a hormonal disorder which can have wide-ranging health effects, including on metabolism, skin, mental health and the reproductive and cardiovascular systems. Despite these diverse symptoms, the condition is known as polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS. It is a name many experts and those living with the disease says is reductive and misleading, prompting a global initiative working to formally rename PCOS to something that more accurately reflects the disease. Leading researchers say the name’s focus on ovarian cysts “overlooks the condition’s metabolic, cardiovascular, hormonal and psychological features, leading to confusion, delayed diagnosis and inadequate care that is well documented globally”. If you are living with PCOS and feel comfortable sharing, we would like to hear about your experience, symptoms and what a name change would mean to you. Your responses, which can be anonymous, are secure as the form is encrypted and only the Guardian has access to your contributions. We will only use the data you provide us for the purpose of the feature …