Could PMOS/PCOS Affect Memory And Increase Dementia Risk?

A common hormonal condition affecting millions of women may also have implications for brain health.

Women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), formerly known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), are more likely to experience problems with memory and thinking, according to review of existing research.

Researchers analyzed studies evaluating women with the condition using memory and thinking tests, brain scans and dementia diagnoses. Overall, the review showed participants with PMOS had poorer memory and attention, along with changes in brain structure and connectivity.

These findings “could suggest greater risk for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia,” study co-author Dr. Ricardo Azziz, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said in a news release.

But evidence of increased dementia risk was mixed. Some studies revealed higher rates, while others showed no increased risk.

Researchers say the brain changes and any potential link to dementia may be driven by related health problems, including obesity and insulin resistance, rather than PMOS itself.

More long-term research is needed, the researchers said. Understanding how these two disorders are related may help to not only understand what they have in common, but could also lead to “new pathways and causes which could guide the development of novel treatments for these devastating diseases,” Azziz said.

The findings were published Oct. 13 in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

More information

The Mayo Clinic has more on polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome.

SOURCE: HealthDay TV, Oct. 14, 2026