NIH: Rename PCOS to reduce confusion, improve patient care

In a recent report, an independent panel assembled by the NIH recommended that polycystic ovary syndrome be renamed to reduce confusion. According to the panel, the name currently focuses on the criterion of ovarian cysts, which is not necessary for diagnosis.

“The name PCOS is a distraction that impedes progress. It is time to assign a name that reflects the complex interactions that characterize the syndrome,” Robert A. Rizza, MD, panel member and professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said in a press release. “The right name will enhance recognition of this issue and assist in expanding research support.”

Although the causes of PCOS are not well understood, some studies suggest a genetic component, whereas others link environmental factors to the disorder. Based on this, the panel recommends that well-designed, multiethnic studies be conducted to determine factors such as obesity that increase a genetic disposition to PCOS. They also cite a need for further research to identify risks and treatments for complications and management of common symptoms.

“Additional studies are needed to identify new treatments that address the most common symptoms women face, such as weight gain and difficulty becoming pregnant. We also need studies to determine a woman’s risk for cardiovascular and other complications and if treatment can reduce these risks,” Pamela Ouyang, MD, panel member and director of the Women’s Cardiovascular Health Center at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, said in the release.

The panel also called for simplifying the diagnostic classification system by using only the Rotterdam Criteria, which Timothy Johnson, MD, panel member and obstetrician-gynecologist-in-chief at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, said is “broad” and “inclusionary.”

“We also recommend that key components of the Rotterdam Criteria be clearly defined and have normal ranges established across age groups and populations,” he said.

Lastly, the group concluded that models for involving consumers, such as that used by the Australian PCOS Alliance, are worth imitating.

“Creating multidisciplinary teams — that engage women and their health care providers — is critical to promoting patient education, increasing public awareness and successfully managing the syndrome,” Lorrie Kline Kaplan, executive director of the American College of Nurse-Midwives in Silver Spring, Md., said in the release.