60-second Science

In this episode of Science Quickly, host Rachel Feltman interviews physician Anuja Dokras about the long road to changing the name of the condition PCOS, or polycystic ovary syndrome, to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, or PMOS. The conversation covers why “PCOS” was misleading, what the common condition actually involves and how an international group of researchers, including Dokras, landed on a more accurate name.  Recommended Reading: ‘PCOS is inaccurate’—why scientists renamed polycystic ovary syndrome “Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, the new name for polycystic ovary syndrome: a multistep global consensus process,” by Helena J. Teede et al, in Lancet. Published online May 12, 2026 E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover! Discover something new everyday: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter. Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwan