UK guidelines to adopt ‘PMOS’ as new name for PCOS

NICE is to adopt the new name polyendocrine metabolic ovary syndrome (PMOS) for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in its upcoming guidance on the condition.

The new name was announced this month by endocrinology specialists at the European Congress of Endocrinology and published in The Lancet.

The name change to PMOS comes after 14 years of collaboration between international societies and patient groups, and aims to better reflect the hormonal and metabolic dysfunction underlying the condition.

Authors of the Lancet paper Professor Helena Teede from Monash University and colleagues said the previous term implied pathological ovarian cysts, obscuring the condition’s ‘diverse endocrine and metabolic features’ and contributing to ‘delayed diagnosis, fragmented care and stigma’.

PMOS is characterised by fluctuations in hormones impacting on weight, metabolic and mental health, skin and the reproductive system.

Currently GPs are advised to follow the 2023 international guidelines on PCOS led by the Monash University team and endorsed by the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (RCOG), with NICE due to publish its own guidance on the condition later this year.

NICE and the RCOG confirmed to Pulse they will be transitioning to the new name from now on.

NICE said it is working with Monash University experts with a view to adopting the term PMOS in its guidance, which is currently scheduled for publication in December this year, with the first draft due out in June.

A NICE spokesperson said: ‘This is a significant development for this long-term, complex health condition and we’re working with colleagues at Monash University on how best to transition to fully adopting the new name in our guideline, expected to publish later this year.’

The RCOG said it is also looking to update active guidance on the topic in the next few weeks to ensure the name change is reflected.

Professor Adam Balen, Professor of Reproductive Medicine and Surgery and spokesperson for the RCOG said: ‘We welcome the new name for polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). This change better recognises the complexity of the condition as a long-term hormonal disorder, with both reproductive and metabolic consequences.

‘With over 730,000 women waiting for gynaecological care across the UK, many with conditions like PMOS, clearer naming is important in helping to reduce missed diagnoses, delayed care, and inadequate treatment through improved recognition.’