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Millions of women living with PMOS 'should get yearly NHS checks after years of missed diagnoses'

Hormone condition PMOS affects about one in eight women, but often goes undiagnosed for years despite increasing risk of diabetes, heart disease and fertility problems

[Woman laying in bed warming abdomen with hot water bottle for comfort]

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New recommendations from health watchdog redress years of medical neglect towards the common hormonal condition affecting 3-4 million women in the UK. (Image: Getty)

Millions of women with the common hormonal condition polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) could receive yearly NHS check-ups and earlier diagnosis under new draft guidance from the health watchdog.

The advice from NICE says women living with PMOS, previously known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), should receive annual reviews to monitor the lifelong hormone condition linked to diabetes, heart disease, fertility problems and poor mental health. While the condition affects about one in eight women, experts say it is frequently overlooked by medical professionals, leaving women struggling to manage the condition for years after symptoms first appear.

Sharon Mansfield, a member of the committee contributing to the NICEs draft guidance, said doctors dismissed her irregular periods and struggles with her weight and mental health for a decade: It was so disheartening to be told, until I was finally diagnosed in my mid-30s, that my symptoms were just part of being a woman.

She hopes the new guidance means the estimated 3-4 million women with PMOS in the UK will be taken seriously much earlier.

Detailed information on how to spot and diagnose the condition are included in the draft guideline to improve timely diagnosis. NICE also said doctors should recognise that PMOS may be more common among Black, Asian and mixed-ethnicity women when assessing symptoms.

Once diagnosed, women would be offered a yearly health review to monitor symptoms and check for early signs of conditions such as diabetes, giving doctors the chance to recommend lifestyle changes before more serious illness develops.

[The hormone condition affects around one in eight women but often goes undiagnosed for years despite increasing risk of diabetes, heart disease and fertility problems.]

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The hormone condition affects around one in eight women but often goes undiagnosed for years despite increasing risk of diabetes, heart disease and fertility problems.(Image: Essity)

Building on current support offered by the NHS, women planning a pregnancy should also receive advice on managing the condition, alongside information about fertility treatment, including IVF where appropriate.

PMOS was rebranded from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) following a global effort by experts to combat misunderstandings surrounding the condition and acknowledge the wide-ranging metabolic consequences that affect the entire body, not just the ovaries.

Marie Anne Ledingham, a consultant clinical advisor for womens and reproductive health at NICE, said that the annual review is the next important step towards giving women access to ongoing care.

PMOS is a common but overlooked condition that can have a major impact on health and wellbeing, she said. This new guideline will help improve consistency of care, increase awareness of the condition and support earlier diagnosis and management.

NICE is inviting feedback from doctors, patients and the public on the draft guideline through the consultation period from 1 July to 11 August. The final guideline on PMOS is expected to be published in December 2026.

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