Dr. Betty Murray explains a May 2026 Lancet consensus paper that renames PCOS to PMOS, shifting focus from ovarian cysts to a neuroendocrine and insulin-driven disorder. The new framework recognizes that the condition raises lifetime risks for diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic dysfunction in women of all ages, not just those trying to conceive.
On May 12th, 2026, The Lancet published a historic and paradigm-shifting consensus paper called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is Officially Dead, and it has now been renamed as Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome. It's a massive victory for women, and even if you're in menopause, even if you're like me in your mid-50s and you've been in this room for a long time, this is still really important to you. The framework that was the diagnostic framework for PCOS for decades basically excluded women all across the board because we didn't fit this very narrow description. The, the underlying problem is a profound neuroendocrine and insulin-driven deficit that continues to silently accelerate risks of things like insulin resistance, prediabetes and diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction that often leads to abnormal weight gain, weight loss resistance, and a host of other problems. And this continues across your entire lifespan, long into menopause.
