FOR WOMEN diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a proposed name change to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) reflects a broader shift in how physicians understand one of the most common hormonal disorders affecting women.
Rather than a condition confined to the ovaries, it is now recognized as a systemic disease with long-term endocrine and metabolic consequences.
The new term, published in The Lancet in May 2026, seeks to correct what experts describe as a misleading name that emphasizes ovarian findings while overlooking the disorder’s hormonal and metabolic features.
The initiative to rename PCOS was the result of an international collaboration involving 56 academic, clinical and patient organizations, drawing on data from more than 14,000 patients and multidisciplinary healthcare professionals.
According to the consensus, the term “PCOS” inaccurately suggests the presence of pathological ovarian cysts, obscuring the condition’s endocrine and metabolic manifestations and contributing to delayed diagnosis, fragmented care and stigma.
Although the proposed change has sparked discussion among clinicians and patients, Assoc. Prof. Maria Teresa Luna, chair of the UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, said it was intended primarily to improve understanding of the disease rather than alter how it is diagnosed.
“The [term] endocrine metabolic syndrome is different because it already has a connotation of having a prolonged, or a long-term outcome, a long-term consequence of the disease,” Luna told the Varsitarian.
By incorporating the terms “endocrine” and “metabolic,” the proposed name underscores that the disorder extends beyond reproductive health and may predispose patients to chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension if left unmanaged.
Despite the terminology change, the diagnostic criteria remain unchanged. Diagnosis continues to rely on a combination of chronic anovulation, hyperandrogenism and polycystic ovarian morphology on ultrasound rather than any single finding.
Chronic anovulation may emerge as prolonged absence of menstruation or infrequent menstrual periods, while hyperandrogenism may manifest as severe acne or excessive hair growth.
Luna emphasized that polycystic ovarian morphology alone does not establish the diagnosis.
“A patient may very well be asymptomatic, menstruating regularly with no manifestations, dermatologic or anything else, but may have incidental finding of polycystic ovaries on ultrasound,” she said. “That is not the syndrome.”
Although obesity was once considered closely associated with PCOS, physicians now recognize that the condition occurs across different body types, she said.
For Luna, the proposed renaming reflects medicine’s growing emphasis on preventing chronic disease before complications develop.
“Medicine is not supposed to be treating what is already there,” she said. “To be a good doctor, you need to be able to prevent what could be prevented in the future. And I think that is the very thrust of why the terminology was changed.”
Untreated chronic anovulation may cause continuous thickening of the uterine lining, increasing the risk of endometrial hyperplasia, which can progress to endometrial cancer.
Patients with insulin resistance, particularly those with obesity and other risk factors, also face an increased likelihood of developing diabetes. As they age, these metabolic abnormalities may coincide with hypertension and other components of metabolic syndrome.
The broader framework proposed under PMOS also encourages more comprehensive patient assessment.
“It will entail more laboratory examination, screening for diabetes, maybe asking the patient to do self-blood pressure monitoring, of course, watching her weight, which though it sounds very simple, it’s commonly not done at all,” Luna said.
Traditional evaluation often centered on medical history, physical examination and pelvic ultrasound, she explained. Recognizing the disorder’s endocrine and metabolic components, however, may prompt additional laboratory testing and long-term monitoring.
The proposed terminology can strengthen collaboration among gynecologists, endocrinologists and primary care physicians.
“We are moving towards universal health where the primary physicians play a major role because they are the first to see the patient,” Luna said. “So from there, [they proceed by] recognizing what specialty needs to be involved, because it’s not just simply gynecologic or dermatologic.”
Luna urged young women to seek medical advice instead of relying on information from social media and online forums.
“The problem here is because of the amount of information available on the internet. Unfortunately, it’s not totally accurate,” she said. “You may learn from other people’s experience, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that everything applies to you.”
Personal experiences shared online cannot replace professional evaluation because every patient’s condition is different, she stressed.
Luna emphasized that the disorder remains manageable through sustained treatment and lifestyle modifications despite its long-term risks. To help reduce future complications, she recommended adopting realistic dietary changes, engaging in regular physical activity and taking medications to regulate menstruation.
“We just want our patients to cooperate in the management because ultimately, it will be their lives,” she said.
