Syndrome métabolique ovarien polyendocrinien renamed to highlight metabolic and cardiovascular risks

The European Society of Endocrinology’s May 2026 congress officially renamed the widely known polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to "Syndrome métabolique ovarien polyendocrinien" (SMOP). The change underscores the condition’s multisystem nature, emphasizing metabolic, endocrine and cardiovascular aspects rather than the earlier focus on ovarian cysts.

SMOP affects roughly one in ten women of reproductive age in France and about 170 million women worldwide, making it the leading hormonal cause of female infertility. The new diagnostic criteria require at least two of three signs: clinical or biochemical hyperandrogenism, menstrual irregularities, and characteristic ovarian ultrasound findings. Patients often present with hirsutism, acanthosis nigricans, insulin resistance, hypertension and dyslipidaemia, all of which increase long‑term cardiovascular risk.

Advocacy groups stress that naming the disorder helps reduce patient isolation, speeds up diagnosis that previously took five to ten years on average, and guides coordinated care among gynecologists, endocrinologists and dermatologists.