PMOS and Diabetes: How the Name Change for PCOS Can Increase Awareness

Created: June 2026

If you ever felt dismissed or confused while managing your hormones, weight gain, and insulin resistance, you are not alone. Yes, there is a connection between type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, obesity, and Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS), formerly known as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). PMOS is more than a disease of the ovaries, with over half of women living with PMOS developing diabetes by age 40. It is common for women living with PMOS and/or diabetes to experience difficulty managing weight and blood glucose, regardless of food choices and activity level. The culprit could be your hormones, not a failure of effort. 

PMOS/PCOS is a chronic lifelong hormonal disorder driven by excess androgens (male hormones) and insulin resistance. PMOS/PCOS affects 10-20% of all women globally. PCOS was renamed Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS) in May 2026 to better describe the metabolic aspects of the syndrome, such as increased risk for obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. The name change moves away from the incorrect focus on “cysts” in the former name Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. When PCOS was discovered, the physician mistook eggs for “cysts” and the name stuck around for nearly a century. We now know ovarian cysts are another condition and not a feature of PMOS. 

The name change is a massive victory for women living with PMOS, as it highlights the increased metabolic risk factors such as diabetes, insulin resistance, obesity, and increased risk for cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke. The name change also brings awareness to women living with diabetes who have symptoms of PMOS/PCOS. 

Symptoms and Causes of PMOS/PCOS 

Symptoms of PMOS include weight gain, insulin resistance, scalp hair thinning, acne, unwanted hair (hirsutism), mood swings, irregular periods, and even difficulty achieving pregnancy. It is important to note that not everyone with PMOS will have all of these symptoms. If insulin resistance is developing, you might also notice skin darkening around the neck, armpits, or groin, skin tags, sugar cravings, and post-meal fatigue, in addition to weight gain around the abdomen.

PMOS is caused by excess male hormones or androgens that often drive up insulin. Insulin is the hormone that clears glucose from your blood. When your body no longer responds to it, insulin resistance develops, and your risk for diabetes may increase. At the same time, high levels of insulin signal to the ovaries to produce more androgens, creating a vicious cycle of elevated insulin, androgens, and subsequent weight gain, particularly around the abdomen, often leading to obesity. In fact, 50-70% of women living with PMOS have overweight or obesity. 

PMOS and Diabetes Treatments

Since PMOS and diabetes are connected, many treatments are the same, such as GLP-1s or metformin. Some features of PMOS, such as unwanted hair, acne, scalp hair thinning, mood swings, and irregular periods, require additional medications such as hormonal birth control or androgen-blocking medications. Treating both PMOS and diabetes together will optimize the outcomes and improve your overall health by treating the root cause of both conditions. 

Discussing the PMOS Diabetes Connection with your Healthcare Team

1. Bring Up the Hormonal Connection

Start by drawing a clear bridge between your existing diabetes care and your physical symptoms.

• What to ask: “We have been focusing heavily on managing my blood glucose, but I am experiencing irregular cycles and symptoms like acne and hair thinning. Given that I live with diabetes, could these be signs of an underlying condition like PMOS/PCOS?”

2. Request Specific Androgen Testing

A standard diabetes workup does not measure reproductive hormones. To evaluate you for PMOS, your provider needs to check your hormones and rule out other endocrine disorders.

• What to ask for: “Can we order a PMOS/PCOS Diagnostic Hormone panel? I want to see if excess androgens are driving my symptoms”

*Note: PMOS has a 70% misdiagnosed/undiagnosed rate. Make sure your provider is comfortable ordering and interpreting PMOS/PCOS labs according to the latest International evidence-based guideline for the assessment and management of PCOS, requiring exclusion of other endocrine disorders. If they are not comfortable, you can seek out a PMOS/PCOS Specialist. 

3. Optimize Your Medication Plan

If you do have both conditions, your current diabetes care plan might be adjusted to better target your hormonal symptoms simultaneously.

• What to say: “If I do have PMOS/PCOS in addition to diabetes, are there ways we can tailor my current medications to address both? For example, would adjusting my metformin dosage or exploring other therapies help regulate my cycles and manage my glucose and hormone levels?”

If you are not sure you have symptoms of PMOS/PCOS, you can take a quick self-assessment quiz to determine if you should seek a PMOS/PCOS diagnosis. A PMOS/PCOS diagnosis requires blood work and a medical visit.

Remember, you are already doing the hard work of managing a complex metabolic condition. Asking your provider to investigate PMOS/PCOS is not adding unnecessary complications—it is simply unlocking the right vocabulary and tools to make sure your treatment plan works perfectly for your entire body. 

Lifestyle Changes for both PMOS/PCOS and Diabetes

If you already know you have PMOS/PCOS and have established your medical treatment plan, now it’s time to work on lifestyle changes that can help you manage both conditions and help reduce your risk for complications. 

1. Master the Art of “Carbohydrate Pairing“

Never eat a carb alone. Pair a carbohydrate with a protein, healthy fat, or fiber. For example, you can eat an apple or toast with peanut butter, nuts, or an egg. This will help maintain steady blood glucose levels. 

2. Exercise: Timing, Type, and Quality

• 10-minute post-meal walks: Light exercise will help clear excess glucose from your bloodstream.
• Prioritize resistance training: Stimulating your muscles increases insulin sensitivity. Try resistance training 2-3 times per week.
• Avoid over-exercising: This can increase your cortisol, and cortisol increases your androgens and inflammation. Opt for zone 2 (moderate intensity) cardio (brisk walking, swimming, cycling) where you can still hold a conversation. 

3. Lower your stress

• Aim for 7-8 hours of restorative sleep in a dark room.
• Spend time in nature and try meditation. Stress increases cortisol and contributes to elevated blood glucose and inflammation.  

Both diabetes and PMOS/PCOS are driven by a similar root cause and amplify each other. Elevated blood glucose levels spike your insulin production, and elevated insulin levels force your ovaries to overproduce androgens, worsening your hormonal symptoms, elevating androgens, and causing the cycle to repeat. When you address diabetes and PMOS/PCOS by blending coordinated health care and lifestyle changes, you conquer both complex endocrine disorders simultaneously and can help break the cycle. Don’t hesitate to have this discussion with your provider today.

About the Author

Dr. Lynsey Johnson, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, is an award-winning PMOS/PCOS expert, innovator, speaker, and business leader. Dr. Johnson founded PCOS Sisters Telehealth Clinic & Wellness Center, a multi-state, evidence-based telehealth practice, to help women like herself who have suffered lifelong with Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS/PCOS). PCOS Sisters Telehealth Clinic & Wellness Center (PMOS Sisters) serves over 12 states, providing PMOS diagnosis and treatment throughout the USA. She also serves as Adjunct Instructor and collaborates on research studies with Emory University: Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing.