What We Want You to Know About Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome — the New Name for PCOS

One of the more common women's health issues is a condition that used to be called polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, which affects between 10 and 13% of reproductive-aged women worldwide.

Even more alarming is the fact that about 70% of women with PCOS go undiagnosed, and some of the blame lies with the name PCOS, which emphasizes the wrong thing — ovarian cysts. As of May 2026, PCOS is now referred to as polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, or PMOS, which should help with diagnosing the condition properly.

Since September is PMOS awareness month in the United States, the team of board-certified physicians at North Atlanta OB/GYN wanted to discuss the name change and describe key symptoms of PMOS to help guide you. 

From PCOS to PMOS

Let’s first touch on the recent name change to PMOS, which, as we mentioned, is designed to help women get to the correct diagnosis more quickly.

Under the old name, the focus was on ovarian cysts, which are byproducts of PMOS, but they’re really not the headline. In the words of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, “For too long, PCOS has been reduced from a complex, long-term hormonal or endocrine disorder to a misunderstanding about cysts and a focus on ovaries. This contributed to missed diagnoses and inadequate treatment.”

So, the name has been updated to PMOS, placing the right focus on the endocrine issue rather than a potential complication of the condition (cysts).

PMOS — a matter of hormones

Under normal circumstances, men and women are greatly influenced by their reproductive hormones, which are what give us our gender characteristics. So, while both genders produce female hormones and male hormones, the balances are quite different. More specifically, women have far higher levels of estrogen and progesterone hormones, while the dominant hormones for men come from androgen hormones.

With PMOS, there’s an excess of androgen hormones in women, which can cast a wide net over their reproductive and general health.

We don’t yet know what exactly causes PMOS, but we do know that there’s a strong connection to insulin resistance, which can worsen androgen excess.

This link to insulin is an important one because it explains why rates of PMOS have nearly doubled in the last three decades. In short, these rising rates of PMOS coincide with rising rates of obesity, which directly impacts how your body produces and uses insulin.

Signs of PMOS

Now let’s look at some of the symptoms of this common gynecologic condition, which include:

• Irregular periods
• Infertility — PMOS is a leading cause of this
• Facial and body hair, which affects up to 70% of women with PMOS
• Acne on the face and body
• Cysts on the ovaries
• Dark patches of skin and skin tags
• Thinning hair
• Obesity

In addition, there are secondary side effects of PMOS, such as depression and anxiety, as women try to navigate the unwelcome complications.

Treating PMOS

If you recognize any of the symptoms listed above, we want you to come in for an evaluation. If we find that you have PMOS, we can treat the issue with one or more of the following:

• Hormone medications
• Medications that block androgen hormones
• Insulin-sensitizing medications
• Lifestyle changes, namely losing weight

We can also discuss fertility medications that can help with ovulation for women who have PMOS and are trying to get pregnant.

To learn more about PMOS or for a comprehensive evaluation, schedule an appointment by phone or online today at one of our offices in Atlanta, Alpharetta, or Marietta, Georgia.