All posts tagged: PMOS

PMOS shows us why many scientific terms need to be renamed

PMOS shows us why many scientific terms need to be renamed

Published by skeptic

CAVALLINI JAMES/BSIP/Alamy What do researchers of artificial intelligence, medicine and climate change have in common? They could all learn from the story of Rumpelstiltskin. As the fairy tale teaches us, knowing something’s “true name”, an ancient concept in folklore, gives us power over it. While this may not seem very scientific, psychologists have repeatedly found that your name changes how people perceive you. The same may be true for scientific terms. Take “artificial intelligence”: while the technology is undeniably impressive, much of the drama around AI might have been avoided if we used the less grandiose name “machine learning”. Of course, there is no such thing as a “true name” in the folkloric sense, but it is clear that some names are better than others. In recent years, there have been efforts to move away from disease names that stigmatise particular groups, with the Wuhan coronavirus swiftly becoming branded covid-19 by the World Health Organization (WHO), which also renamed monkeypox as mpox in 2022. “ ‘Net zero’ is a term that has become unmoored from …

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: …

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 …