PMOS, Formerly PCOS, Raises Risk of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease, Heart Attacks, Strokes

PHILADELPHIA – Young women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), formerly known as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), may face higher risks of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) including heart attacks and strokes, according to a new study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Rochester Medicine. The increased risks were independent of other known risk factors, the researchers found. Published today in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology and & Women’s Health, the study compiled data from more than 2 million participants and is the largest study to date on PMOS and ASCVD in women in the United States.

“It is also important for all individuals with PMOS to care for their heart health and control other factors that can lead to poor cardiovascular health, including smoking, inactivity, obesity, high LDL cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure,” said senior author Anuja Dokras, MD, MHCI, PhD, the Founders Professor of Women’s Health at Penn and the director of the Penn Polyendrocine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS) Center.

While previous research has shown an association between ASCVD and PMOS, the large number of study participants allowed researchers to separate the risk due to PMOS alone versus known cardiovascular risk factors. The new Penn Medicine study suggests PMOS may contribute directly to these life-threatening cardiovascular conditions.

Ten to 13 percent of women of reproductive age have PMOS, and 70 percent of women with PMOS are not aware they have it, according to the World Health Organization. While it is one of the most common causes of infertility, the disorder can persist throughout a person’s lifetime and continue contributing to health issues, including ASCVD, endometrial cancer, and type 2 diabetes, after childbearing years have passed.

The Penn Medicine researchers confirmed that people with PMOS were more likely than those without PMOS to have ASCVD. More importantly, they found that people with PMOS independent of other risk factors had an increased risk of strokes and heart attacks.

For example, after adjusting for other risk factors, people with PMOS were roughly 2.5 times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke during the study period compared with their peers without PMOS. Similarly, the PMOS group was 3.4 times more likely to have a transient ischemic attack, a warning sign of a potential future stroke, compared with the non-PMOS group. People with PMOS were also almost four times more likely to have peripheral artery disease, a narrowing or blockage of arteries outside the heart, often in the legs, compared with those without PMOS. More research needs to be done to explore the precise mechanisms at play.

This research follows 14 years of work by Dokras, Penn colleagues, and experts from around the world to rename PCOS as PMOS, a change intended to better reflect what the condition does and help patients better understand what is happening in their bodies. The condition had been known as PCOS since 1935¹. In May 2026, the name change was made official by the World Health Organization, the Endocrine Society, and others, and an article was published in The Lancet.

“The words we choose as clinicians are important,” said Dokras. “My patients often assumed they had cysts on their ovaries, but instead, people with PMOS have increased follicles that can resemble cysts. While the word polycystic was a misnomer, the effects of PMOS extend far beyond gynecologic health, as we show in our new research. The new name itself signals the impact of multiple hormones of the endocrine system, and we hope it allows clinicians to offer more comprehensive care.”

People who have been diagnosed with PCOS or PMOS should speak with their doctor about cardiovascular health and consider lifestyle steps such as staying active and monitoring blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar, Dokras said.

Reference:

1) http://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10028479/

(Newswise/HG)