Helena Teede changes Syndrome Ovaires Polykystiques name for 170 million women
Helena Teede led the renaming of syndrome ovaires polykystiques to syndrome métabolique ovarien polyendocrinien, a change announced Tuesday, May 12, at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Prague. The new name was published in The Lancet and comes after years of work on a condition that affects one in eight women worldwide.
The disorder affects more than 170 million women and is described as the first cause of infertility in women. Teede said the old name had long distorted how the condition was understood and treated.
Helena Teede in Prague
Teede, an endocrinologist and director of the Monash Centre for Health Research and Implantation in Melbourne, led the name-change process after decades studying the disease. She said: "Ce que nous savons maintenant, c’est qu’il n’y a en réalité aucune augmentation des kystes anormaux sur l’ovaire, et que les diverses caractéristiques de cette affection étaient souvent sous-estimées".
The term syndrome des ovaires polykystiques was established in 1935. Research later showed that what were thought to be cysts were actually many follicles with incomplete development, and the renamed condition reflects that shift in understanding.
Fourteen years of collaboration
The change followed fourteen years of collaboration among more than fifty international societies and patient groups from around the world. In 2023, Teede's research team published international guidelines to improve evaluation and management of SOPK.
The condition affects ovarian function and metabolism and leads to excessive androgen production. It raises blood testosterone levels in affected women and can cause ovulation disorders, hyperpilosity, acne, hair loss, and increased risk of metabolic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
Care after the rename
Teede said: "Il était déchirant de constater le diagnostic tardif, la sensibilisation limitée et les soins inadéquats prodigués aux personnes atteintes de cette maladie négligée". Hyperpilosity affects 70 percent of women with the disease, a figure that shows how often its symptoms extend beyond fertility concerns.
The rename gives clinicians and patients a term that better matches the disease's metabolic and hormonal features, while leaving the old label behind. Teede ended her statement mid-quote: "Ce changement a été impulsé avec et pour".
