Why PCOS Gets Worse During Perimenopause - Doctor Explains!

In this episode of The Forties Formula, Jasmin Dhillon and Amanda Lim are joined by women's health physician Dr. Sital Khistriya to unpack one of the biggest changes in women's health in decades: the proposed renaming of PCOS to PMOS (Poly-Endocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome).

Why does this matter? Because experts now believe we've been treating PCOS as an ovarian condition when it's actually a lifelong metabolic disorder driven primarily by insulin resistance. This shift has huge implications for diagnosis, fertility, pregnancy, perimenopause, menopause, cardiovascular health, and how millions of women are treated around the world.

Chapters

00:00 | Have We Been Misunderstanding PCOS All Along?

01:48 | Why Experts Want to Rename PCOS to PMOS

03:01 | What PMOS Really Means (And Why Ovarian Cysts Aren't the Problem)

04:25 | How PCOS Got Its Name

04:33 | How PMOS Is Diagnosed

05:51 | Can You Have PMOS Without Ovarian Cysts?

07:04 | Can PMOS Develop Later in Life?

08:22 | The Overlooked Symptoms Most Women Don't Know About

09:41 | What Parents Should Watch for in Teenage Girls

12:20 | Birth Control: Treatment or Band-Aid?

16:03 | PMOS, Fertility & Trying to Conceive

17:27 | Lifestyle Changes That Improve Fertility

18:16 | The Best Diet for Insulin Resistance

19:35 | Metformin, GLP-1s & Modern Treatment Options

20:55 | What Happens If PMOS Goes Undiagnosed Until Your 40s?

23:17 | Why PMOS Still Matters After You've Had Children

25:06 | How PMOS Differs Across Ethnicities

27:28 | The Hidden Signs of Insulin Resistance

30:35 | Does PMOS End After Menopause?

31:15 | Why Perimenopause Can Make PMOS Worse

32:53 | Why Strength Training Improves Insulin Resistance

34:58 | Changing Women's Mindset Around Muscle

39:25 | Will the PMOS Name Change Improve Treatment?

41:00 | Should It Have Been Named Something Else?

42:54 | Hot or Hype? Keto, Metformin, Inositol & Ovulation Tests

47:26 | Dr. Sital’s Forties Formula

48:12 | Final Thoughts

About our guest:

Dr. Sital Khistryia is a women's health physician with a special interest in hormones, metabolic health, perimenopause and preventive medicine. She helps women better understand the connection between insulin resistance, reproductive health and long-term wellbeing.

About your hosts:

Jasmin Dhillon is an Integrated Health Strategist and Health Coach helping women in their 40s navigate gut health, hormones and nutrition.

https://www.instagram.com/eat.with.jasmin/

Amanda Lim is a Metabolic Health Coach focused on helping women build strength, confidence and long-term health.

https://www.instagram.com/coachamanda/

Support the podcast:

If you enjoy these conversations, subscribe and share this episode with someone living with PCOS, insulin resistance, fertility concerns, or navigating perimenopause.

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