PCOS renamed PMOS in global consensus, sparking Indian criticism

A group of international scientists and clinicians reached a consensus to rename Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) as Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS). The change, published in *The Lancet*, aims to remove the misleading reference to ovarian cysts and highlight the disorder’s metabolic and endocrine dimensions. Dr. Raina Chawla described it as “an important move toward correcting one of medicine’s most persistent misnomers.”

Indian researchers, however, have objected to the proposal, calling the process Western‑centric and insufficiently inclusive of the world’s largest patient populations. Professor Mohd Ashraf Ganie warned that the term “Polyendocrine” could cause confusion with other endocrine disorders and that the name still emphasizes the ovaries, omitting hyperandrogenism. The critics urge a more evidence‑based, organ‑neutral naming framework that reflects the disease’s global burden.

The debate underscores the challenges of achieving unified terminology for a condition affecting roughly 170 million women worldwide.