Millions of women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) will be entitled to annual NHS health checks under new draft guidance issued by the health regulator NICE, which urges faster diagnosis and better monitoring of the condition.
The condition, which affects around one in eight women in the UK – an estimated 3 to 4 million – was previously known as polycystic ovary syndrome but was renamed in May to better reflect its broad impact across the body.
“Up to 4 million women in the UK with PMOS should receive annual NHS checks under new draft guidance aimed at faster diagnosis and better monitoring.”
For women like Sharon Manship, who waited more than a decade for a diagnosis despite seeking help in her early 20s, the new guidelines cannot come soon enough. “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 said. Manship was part of the committee that drew up the guidelines after living with the condition for 30 years.
The draft guidance, which covers girls aged over 10, adult women, trans men and non-binary people not receiving gender reassignment therapy, recommends annual reviews to monitor menstrual irregularities, excess hair growth, and to discuss cardiovascular health, diabetes, obesity and mental health risks. PMOS is a major cause of female infertility and is associated with a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnoea, fatty liver disease and complications in pregnancy.
However, NICE has recommended against offering laser or light therapies for hair reduction, saying they are not cost-effective. It estimates that providing such treatments to PMOS patients would cost the NHS up to £100m a year in England.
The guidance notes that PMOS is thought to be more common in women of Black, Asian and mixed ethnicity, and healthcare professionals should consider this when assessing symptoms.
NICE says the condition is still underdiagnosed and inconsistently managed despite its prevalence. The new guidance aims to ensure that people with PMOS are “taken seriously, diagnosed earlier and provided with evidence-based support and care from healthcare professionals from the outset”, as Manship put it.