PCOS Is Now PMOS: What the 2026 Name Change Means for You

In May 2026, a global consensus statement published in The Lancet formally renamed polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). The change was led by a global consortium of more than 50 patient and professional organizations and reflects years of consultation with people living with the condition and the clinicians who treat it.

The Endocrine Society, which announced the change alongside the publication, notes that the condition affects roughly 1 in 8 women worldwide — more than 170 million people. The World Health Organization estimates it affects about 10–13% of women of reproductive age, and that up to 70% of cases may go undiagnosed.

The old name implied that the core problem was cysts on the ovaries. For most people it is not. The so-called "cysts" are actually follicles, and many people who meet the diagnostic criteria do not have them at all — while the features that drive the most disruption, such as insulin resistance and excess androgens, are not captured by the word "polycystic."

The consensus group concluded that the term PCOS was inaccurate and misleading: it obscured the condition's endocrine and metabolic nature and contributed to delayed diagnosis, fragmented care, and stigma. The new name — polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome — puts the hormonal and metabolic reality front and centre.

Nothing about your body changed on the day of the announcement. PMOS and PCOS describe the exact same condition. The diagnostic criteria clinicians use have not been overturned by the rename, and your existing diagnosis still stands.

Expect a long transition. "PCOS" has decades of use behind it and will remain the term most people search for, the label on most existing resources, and the word many clinicians still use day to day. You will see both names for years. Throughout our site we use PCOS and PMOS together for exactly this reason.

Practically, the rename asks nothing of you. You do not need to do anything, change anything, or be re-diagnosed because of it.

What the new name may help with over time is framing. By naming the metabolic and endocrine features explicitly, it nudges conversations toward the things that often matter most — insulin sensitivity, androgen levels, and cardiometabolic health — rather than focusing on ovarian appearance alone. If you have questions about what your own diagnosis means, your clinician remains the right person to ask.

Because insulin resistance is a common feature for many people with PMOS, several supplements have been studied for metabolic and hormonal markers. The evidence varies a great deal by supplement and by symptom, and no supplement is a substitute for medical care.

Berberine is one of the more-studied examples: a randomized trial comparing it with metformin in women with PCOS reported broadly similar metabolic effects, and a later systematic review and meta-analysis pooled trials examining its effect on metabolic and reproductive measures. Evidence like this is promising for specific markers but is not the same as a proven treatment, and findings differ across supplements.

We do not give individual supplement recommendations on this page. For a symptom-by-symptom breakdown — insulin resistance, cycle regularity, acne and androgens, hair thinning, and more — see our PMOS/PCOS supplement hub and the individual supplement pages, each of which is reviewed by a registered dietitian and carries its own dosing and safety detail. Always confirm any supplement with the clinician managing your care.

Many people with PMOS are also trying to conceive, and this is where caution matters most. Some supplements commonly discussed for the condition are not recommended in pregnancy. Berberine in particular should be avoided when pregnant or breastfeeding.

If you are trying to conceive, pregnant, or nursing — or if you take metformin, thyroid medication, or anything affecting blood sugar — do not start or combine supplements based on anything you read online. Talk to your clinician first.

PCOS is now PMOS — polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome. It is a more accurate name for the same condition, meant to reflect its hormonal and metabolic nature and to improve how it is diagnosed and discussed. It changes the label, not your diagnosis or your care. If you are weighing supplements alongside medical treatment, start from the evidence and your own clinician — not the headline.