PMOS (formerly PCOS) linked to fourfold rise in women's heart disease risk

A new study of U.S. health‑insurance data covering 413,450 women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) found a four‑fold higher risk of heart disease compared with more than two million women without the condition. The increased risk persisted after adjusting for hypertension, diabetes and other factors, prompting calls for better physician education and routine cardiovascular screening at diagnosis.

The syndrome, previously known as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), affects about one in eight women in the United Kingdom – roughly three to four million women – and is often under‑diagnosed. An international coalition of 56 academic, clinical and patient organisations has advocated renaming PCOS to PMOS to emphasise its systemic endocrine and metabolic nature, reduce stigma and improve long‑term care. While the diagnostic criteria remain unchanged, guidelines now recommend annual monitoring for cardiovascular and metabolic complications.