Chronic low-grade inflammation
A low, persistent activation of the immune system, well-documented in PMOS and linked to both insulin resistance and androgen production.
Chronic low-grade inflammation is a low, ongoing activation of the immune system, distinct from the acute inflammation of an injury or infection. It does not produce obvious swelling or pain. It shows up as elevated inflammatory markers in the blood over time.
In PMOS, this kind of inflammation is well-documented. Inflammatory signalling in immune cells correlates with both insulin resistance and androgen production, and the three appear to reinforce each other. Whether inflammation sits upstream of the metabolic and androgenic features or downstream of them is not yet settled in the research.
What is clear is that it is part of the loop rather than a separate problem. Some people with PMOS notice gut symptoms, skin conditions, or joint and mood patterns that travel with this inflammatory arm.