A study published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health found that women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) face a significantly higher risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), independent of usual risk factors.
Led by University of Rochester’s Dr. Snigdha Alur-Gupta, the U.S.-based study analyzed health records from 413,450 women ages 18–50 with PMOS and compared them with more than 2 million matched controls using Optum’s de-identified Clinformatics Data Mart Database between 2000 and 2022.
Women with PMOS were ~4.4 times more likely to develop coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral artery disease, increasing their risk of serious cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke.
The findings add to growing evidence linking PMOS to several other metabolic and reproductive conditions, including type 2 diabetes, infertility, and obesity.
Despite affecting an estimated 10–13% of women, up to 70% of people with PMOS remain undiagnosed, often waiting more than two years for a diagnosis. The condition was recently renamed from PCOS, reflecting its link to endocrine, metabolic, reproductive, dermatological, and psychological health, with advocates hoping the change will improve clinical awareness and whole-body care.
The researchers called for greater provider awareness of PMOS-related cardiovascular risk and more standardized cardiovascular screening for women with the condition.
