Indian Researchers Oppose Proposed PCOS Name Change, Call it Western-Centric and Misleading

Indian medical researchers are strongly opposing a globally proposed renaming of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome to “Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS)”, arguing that the move overlooks the world’s largest patient populations and reflects a Western-centric scientific approach rather than a true international consensus.

The objection was raised by Professor Mohd Ashraf Ganie, along with Prof Neena Malhotra and Prof Rakesh K. Sahay, after the proposal was published in The Lancet and presented at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Prague. The researchers argued that India and China, which together account for nearly 75 million PCOS patients, were largely excluded from the discussion despite having some of the world’s biggest research cohorts on the condition, according to Rising Kashmir.

The Indian researchers also criticised the scientific basis of the proposed name, saying it still remains overly focused on the ovaries despite evidence that many women with PCOS show normal ovarian morphology. According to Prof Ganie, the term “Polyendocrine” could create confusion with other endocrine disorders such as Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia and Autoimmune Polyglandular Syndrome, while the absence of hyperandrogenism in the name weakens clinical accuracy. Researchers further warned that India’s growing “Pre-PCOS” population, marked by metabolic abnormalities, represents a major future public health concern. They urged the global medical community to adopt a more evidence-based, organ-neutral and globally inclusive naming framework for the disorder.