Young women suffering from an ovary-related hormone condition might be living with a higher risk of heart attack or stroke, a new large-scale study says.
Women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) had more than quadrupled risk of heart disease caused by clogged and hardened arteries, researchers reported recently in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women’s Health.
They also had an elevated risk of heart attack, stroke and other heart-related conditions, results show.
“Our work shows that it is imperative for clinicians to closely track and evaluate cardiovascular health in patients with PMOS,” said senior author Dr. Anuja Dokras, director of the Penn Polyendrocine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome Center in Philadelphia.
“It is also important for all individuals with PMOS to care for their heart health and control other factors that can lead to poor cardiovascular health, including smoking, inactivity, obesity, high LDL cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure,” Dokras added in a news release.
PMOS is a female hormone disorder that interferes with ovulation, causing cysts to form in the ovaries. These cysts generate male hormones called androgens, interfering with fertility and potentially contributing to other health issues.
About 10 percent to 13 percent of women of childbearing age have PMOS, researchers said in background notes. However, as many as 7 of 10 women with PMOS aren’t aware they have it.
For this new study, researchers compiled data from more than 2.4 million women ages 18 to 50, including more than 413,000 diagnosed with PMOS. The data ran from 2000 to 2022.
Results showed that women with PMOS had a:
High blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes were found to be significant risk factors for heart disease among women with PMOS, researchers said.
PMOS had been known as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), but earlier this year health experts agreed to change the condition’s name to better reflect its nature, researchers said.
“While the word polycystic was a misnomer, the effects of PMOS extend far beyond gynecologic health, as we show in our new research,” Dokras said.
“The new name itself signals the impact of multiple hormones of the endocrine system, and we hope it allows clinicians to offer more comprehensive care,” she added.
Historically, PMOS care has centered around irregular menstruation, infertility, acne, and androgen symptoms. However, insulin resistance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, inflammation, and obesity-related risks make it a broader metabolic condition.
For clinicians, cardiovascular risk assessment should begin earlier rather than waiting until traditional risk factors accumulate, as a PMOS diagnosis represents an opportunity for earlier cardiovascular prevention.
Studies show that Black women with PMOS may face higher rates of metabolic syndrome and cardiometabolic risk factors compared with white women with PMOS. Additionally, researchers have identified differences in insulin resistance, blood pressure, and other metabolic markers among Black women with PCOS.
Providers should avoid assuming risk is equivalent across patient populations. When a patient is diagnosed with PMOS, clinicians should consider the patient’s full cardiometabolic profile, including factors that may disproportionately affect Black women.
For providers, it’s critical to treat PMOS as a chronic condition rather than a fertility-only diagnosis. Coordinating care between primary care, endocrinology, cardiology, and OB/GYN is critical. Beginning cardiovascular prevention conversations earlier and implementing culturally responsive counseling can avoid stigma around weight and metabolic health, while also improving outcomes for Black women with PMOS.
More information
The Mayo Clinic has more on polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome.
SOURCES: University of Pennsylvania, news release, July 20, 2026; The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology and & Women’s Health, July 20, 2026
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