PCOS/PMOS: the most common hormone disorder in women

PMOS, or Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome, which until May of 2026, was known officially as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), affects around 1 in 8 women worldwide. The renaming was meant to help recognize the more complex metabolic and endocrine system involvement.

PMOS is a syndrome that is most commonly diagnosed in the presence of at least two of three symptoms (aka Rotterdam criteria):

Why PMOS? The name change from PCOS to PMOS took place over many years and much consideration.

Each word is telling you something specific about how this condition actually works.

Polyendocrine: More than one hormone system is involved.

Your hypothalamus, pituitary, pancreas, adrenal glands and ovaries are all part of this picture. These systems communicate constantly, and in PMOS, that communication is dysfunctional. The condition was never localized to one gland or one organ. The new name reflects this truth.

Metabolic: How your body handles insulin and blood sugar is central to this condition.

Between 50 and 80 percent of women with PMOS have insulin resistance, including women who are lean. When insulin stays elevated, it tells the ovaries to produce more androgens, suppresses the proteins that keep those hormones in check, and disrupts the signals needed for ovulation. The metabolic piece is driving much of what you experience.

Ovarian: The ovaries remain in the name because ovarian function is where most symptoms become visible: irregular cycles, skipped ovulation, the characteristic follicle pattern on ultrasound. The ovaries are the endpoint of a longer physiological chain. They reflect what's happening elsewhere in the body.

Syndrome: PMOS is a pattern with a shared physiological root that expresses differently in every person. Women with PMOS don't all look the same. Irregular periods and insulin resistance in some, elevated androgens with relatively normal cycles in others, lean or not. What connects them is a common mechanism, playing out differently depending on the individual. A syndrome name is accurate to that reality.

We still have a lot to learn about PMOS, but here are some facts:

• Having PMOS means you are likely to experience menopause an average of 2 years later

• It is believed there is a genetic component to the syndrome

• It should be considered a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning there are several conditions that should be ruled out prior to calling it PMOS/PCOS

• It’s the most common cause of ovulatory infertility

• Most women with PMOS that desire to conceive will be able to do so

• Having the syndrome means you are at increased risk of diabetes and heart disease

• The symptoms of PMOS can be addressed successfully with the right blend of nourishment and movement