A Bibliometric Analysis of Primary Aldosteronism Research From 2000 to 2020

Intellectual landscapes and emerging trends of non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists: a bibliometric and visual analysis

PURPOSE

With increasing studies, non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonists have been increasingly recognized as a major novel dimension in cardiorenal disease therapy. This bibliometric analysis aimed to uncover current research status and identify future research directions in the study of non-steroidal MR antagonists to inform subsequent investigations.

METHODS

Relevant English-language literature was retrieved from the Science Citation Index Expanded of the Web of Science Core Collection on January 10, 2024. Analyses of countries, institutions, authors, journals, documents, cited references and keywords were performed by the CiteSpace and VOSviewer software.

RESULTS

Overall, 498 documents, including 297 articles and 201 reviews, were included and analyzed. The United States (n = 188), Bayer AG (n = 78), and Professor Peter Kolkhof (n = 59) were the most prolific country, institution, and author in this field, respectively. Cluster analysis of cited references identified major clusters like cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and omecamtiv mecarbil. Keyword analysis indicated that sodium-glucose transport protein (SGLT)-2 inhibitors, pharmacotherapy, clinical trial, and guideline have emerged recently.

CONCLUSION

The field of non-steroidal MR antagonists is gradually gaining momentum as a novel pharmacotherapy in cardiorenal diseases, especially diabetic kidney disease, hypertension, and heart failure. Future studies will focus on add-on pharmacotherapy by combining non-steroidal MR antagonists with SGLT-2 inhibitors and the development and publication of clinical guidelines to facilitate patient management.

Comparison of different medical treatments for primary hyperaldosteronism: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Background

The effectiveness and side effects between different medical treatments in patients with primary hyperaldosteronism have not been systematically studied.

Objective

To analyze the efficacy between different mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) and epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) inhibitors in a network meta-analysis (NMA) framework, while also evaluating adverse events.

Design

Systematic review and NMA.

Data sources and methods

The systematic review and NMA was reported according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. PubMed, MEDLINE, the Cochrane library, and Excerpta Medica database (EMBASE) were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving adult patients with primary hyperaldosteronism until 23 June 2023. Studies that compared the efficacy and side effects of different medical treatments of primary hyperaldosteronism were included. The primary outcomes included the effect on blood pressure, serum potassium, and major adverse cardiovascular events. The secondary outcomes were adverse events related to MRAs (hyperkalemia and gynecomastia). Frequentist NMA and pairwise meta-analysis were conducted.

Results

A total of 5 RCTs comprising 392 participants were included. Eplerenone, esaxerenone, and amiloride were compared to spironolactone and demonstrated comparable effect on the reduction of systolic blood pressure. In comparison to spironolactone, eplerenone exhibited a less pronounced effect on reducing diastolic blood pressure [-4.63 mmHg; 95% confidence interval (CI): -8.87 to -0.40 mmHg] and correcting serum potassium (-0.2 mg/dL; 95% CI: -0.37 to -0.03 mg/dL). Spironolactone presented a higher risk of gynecomastia compared with eplerenone (relative risk: 4.69; 95% CI: 3.58-6.14).

Conclusion

The present NMA indicated that the blood pressure reduction and potassium-correcting effects of the three MRAs may demonstrate marginal differences, with confidence levels in the evidence being very low. Therefore, further research is needed to explore the efficacy of these MRAs, especially regarding their impact on mortality and cardiovascular outcomes.

Trial registration

PROSPERO (CRD: 42023446811).

Targeting ferroptosis unveils a new era for traditional Chinese medicine: a scientific metrology study

In the past 11 years, there has been a surge in studies exploring the regulatory effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) on ferroptosis. However, a significant gap persists in comprehensive scientometric analysis and scientific mapping research, especially in tracking the evolution, primary contributors, and emerging research focal points. This study aims to comprehensively update the advancements in targeting ferroptosis with various TCMs during the previous 11 years. The data, covering the period from 1 January 2012, to 30 November 2023, were retrieved from the Web of Science database. For in-depth scientometric and visualized analyses, a series of advanced analytical instruments were employed. The findings highlight China's predominant role, accounting for 71.99% of total publications and significantly shaping research in this domain. Noteworthy productivity was observed at various institutions, including Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Zhejiang University. Thomas Efferth emerged as the foremost author within this field, while Frontiers in Pharmacology boasted the highest publication count. This study pinpointed hepatocellular carcinoma, chemical and drug-induced liver injury, mitochondrial diseases, acute kidney injury, and liver failure as the most critical disorders addressed in this research realm. The research offers a comprehensive bibliometric evaluation, enhancing our understanding of the present status of TCM therapy in managing ferroptosis-related diseases. Consequently, it aids both seasoned researchers and newcomers by accelerating access to vital information and fostering innovative concept extraction within this specialized field.

Global research trends in unilateral ureteral obstruction-induced renal fibrosis: A bibliometric and visualized study

BACKGROUND

Renal fibrosis is considered the pathway from almost all chronic kidney diseases (CKD) to end-stage renal diseases. The unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) model is a well-established experimental animal model to simulate renal fibrosis associated with obstructive nephropathy in an accelerated manner. In this study, in order to understand the development trends of research on UUO-induced renal fibrosis between 2005 and 2022 and predict prospects, we conducted a comprehensive bibliometric and visualized study using Web of Science (WoS).

METHODS

The articles regarding UUO-induced renal fibrosis were culled from the "Core Collection" of the WoS database. VOSviewer software and the R-Bibliometrix Package were used in visual analysis of countries/regions, journals, authors, keywords, institutions, and highly cited articles in this field.

RESULTS

The number of articles regarding UUO-induced renal fibrosis has obviously increased annually. China had the largest number of publications in this field. The most frequently used keywords were "inflammation," "transforming growth factor-beta1," "oxigative stress," "smad3," "beta-catenin," and "autophagy." Am J Physiol-Renal was the leading journal. The most highly influential documents were published by Higgins DF and his colleagues, with 46 local citations and 749 global citations. The leading institution was Nanjing Medical University. Furthermore, Zhang Y. was the author who contributed most to this field.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that the molecular mechanism of UUO-induced renal fibrosis remains a research hot topic, especially on the inflammatory response and oxidative stress, and international cooperation is expected to expand and deepen in the future.

Global trends in research on extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) from 2000 to 2021

BACKGROUND

This study intended to analyze the application of extracorporeal shock wave therapy in medicine and to evaluate the quality of related literature.

METHODS

All publications were extracted from 2000 to 2021 from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). The literature characteristics were depicted by VOSviewer (version 1.6.15) and the online bibliometric website ( http://bibliometric.com/ ). The future trends and hotspots were conducted by Bibliographic Item Co-occurrence Matrix Builder (version 2.0) and gCLUTO software.

RESULTS

We analyzed 1774 articles corresponding to the criteria for ESWT publications from 2000 to 2021. Most studies were conducted within the United States and China which besides have the most cooperation. The most published research institutions are Chang Gung University, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and Kaohsiung Medical University. Six research hotspots were identified by keyword clustering analysis: Cluster0: The effects of ESWT on muscle spasticity; Cluster1: The application of ESWT in osteoarthritis (OA); Cluster2: Therapeutic effect of ESWT on tendon diseases; Cluster3: Early application of ESWT/ESWL in urolithiasis; Cluster4: The Role of angiogenesis in ESWT and the efficiency of ESWT for penile disease; Cluster5: The Special value of radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (rESWT).

CONCLUSIONS

A comprehensive and systematic bibliometric analysis of ESWT was conducted in our study. We identified six ESWT-related research hotspots and predicted future research trends. With the gradual increase of research on ESWT, we find that ESWT is used more and more extensively, such in musculoskeletal disease, bone delay union, neurological injury, andrology disorders, lymphedema, and so on. In addition, the mechanism is not destructive damage, as initially thought, but a restorative treatment. Furthermore, delayed union, cellulite, burn, and diabetic foot ulcers may be the future direction of scientific study.

Global trends and frontiers in research on coronary microvascular dysfunction: a bibliometric analysis from 2002 to 2022

BACKGROUND

Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is a leading cause of ischemic heart disease. Over the past few decades, considerable progress has been made with respect to research on CMD. The present study summarized the current research hotspots and trends on CMD by applying a bibliometric approach.

METHODS

Relevant publications between 2002 and 2022 were extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection. Visualization network maps of countries, institutions, authors, and co-cited authors were built using VOSviewer. CiteSpace was used for keyword analysis and the construction of a dual-map overlay of journals and a timeline view of co-cited references.

RESULTS

1539 CMD-related publications were extracted for bibliometric analysis. The annual publications generally showed an upward trend. The United States of America was the most prolific country, with 515 publications (33.5%). Camici P. G. was the most influential author, whereas the European Heart Journal, Circulation, and Journal of the American College of Cardiology were the most authoritative journals. Research hotspot analysis revealed that endothelial dysfunction as well as reduced nitric oxide production or bioavailability played critical roles in CMD development. Positron emission tomography was the most widely used imaging method for diagnosis. In addition, microvascular angina, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and heart failure have attracted much attention as the main clinical implications. Furthermore, international standards for CMD diagnosis and management may be the future research directions.

CONCLUSIONS

This study offers a comprehensive view about the hotspots and development trends of CMD, which can assist subsequent researchers and guide future directions.

Explicating the publication paradigm by bibliometric approaches: A case of interplay between nanoscience and ferroptosis

Background

Ferroptosis has been widely investigated as an emerging drug target, while its combination with nanoscience provides bourgeoning application prospects. The development of ferroptosis regulating nanomedicines have attracted worldwide attentions in recent years. It would be meaningful to describe the relevant publication paradigm.

Methods

Herein, a bibliometric analysis was performed using the database of Web of Science Core Collection to clarify the publication paradigm. The development of related publications in the last 6 years was described, and the revolutionary trends were figured out. Ultimately, the possible future exploration directions were proposed.

Results

The bibliometric analysis of 327 documents of interest indicated that the main research focus was in multiple fields including Materials science, Science & technology, Chemistry, and Pharmacology & pharmacy. With widely cooperation and strong funding, the researchers from Chinese organizations contributed most of publications, followed with United States and Australia. Cocitation analysis revealed that several original papers reported the key molecular mechanisms of ferroptosis were considered as the foundation for subsequent studies, and some nanomedicines-related documents were taken as examples and discussed. Mining results showed that the mechanism evaluation of ferroptosis regulation therapy for cancer treatment was the hotspot. Then, several possible future explorations of ferroptosis-related nanoscience were presented and discussed.

Conclusions

The bibliometric profile of nanoscience-ferroptosis research was analyzed in detail. We believe that the bibliometric analysis could act as a robust method for explicating the publication paradigm as a certain field.

Hotspots and frontiers in pulmonary arterial hypertension research: a bibliometric and visualization analysis from 2011 to 2020

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a group of devastating and progressive disorders, resulting in relentless increases in pulmonary vascular resistance. The number of studies related to PAH has been increasing in recent years. Our study aims to illustrate trends in PAH research over the past decade using bibliometric analysis. Science Citation Index-Expanded was adopted to search studies concerning PAH between 2011 and 2020. The bibliographic information was converted and analyzed automatically using a bibliometric package in R software and citespace. The annual quantity of publications on PAH showed an overall increase last decade. The United States was the most prolific country with 2,479 publications, and it was also the country that cooperated most with other countries. Hôpital Bicêtre made important research achievements on PAH and was a leader in study cooperation. Marc Humbert led the PAH field by publishing 150 articles in the past decade. During the past decade, there was a close transnational relation among countries or regions, institutions and authors. Further, Circulation was the most cited journal, followed by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, with 3,895, 3,406, and 3,170 citations, respectively. The global research status and trend of PAH are deeply understood for the first time using bibliometric and visual methods, and the results of our study bring us a valuable reference for clinical researchers.

This is the first study to illustrate trends in pulmonary arterial hypertension research using bibliometric analysis.

Our study provides extensive and in-depth directions for researchers.

Our study may benefit further researches on the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Global trends in polycystic ovary syndrome research: A 10-year bibliometric analysis

BACKGROUND

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common reproductive metabolic disorders in women, significantly affecting the biological functionalities of ovaries. This disease has garnered enormous interest from researchers. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive research concerning assessing the current status and future trends in PCOS field. This study uses bibliometric tools to comprehensively analyze the PCOS-related research progress based on the literature in the past decade.

METHODS

The reported PCOS literature in the past decade is downloaded from the Web of Science database. The bibliometric software is applied to analyze the co-authorship, co-citation, and co-occurrence status.

RESULTS

A total of 9936 publications imported into bibliometric tools for analysis show a sharp increase in the annual citations. The USA is dominant in terms of contribution in the field of PCOS, while China is making a significant contribution to the advancement of this field. Monash University is the most prolific institution with the highest H-index value. The contribution of University of Adelaide must be acknowledged. Legro RS and Teede HJ are the most active and influential authors in recent times, while Azziz R is the most contributed pioneer in this field. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism is the most active journal with the highest number of publications and citations. The pathogenesis of PCOS had been a long-term forefront of research. In recent years, the health management in PCOS prevention and long-term complications was attracting more and more attention. The keywords like "gut microbiota", "microRNAs", "apoptosis", "Myo-inositol", "TNF-alpha", "androgen receptor", and "Vitamin D-deficient" are considered the latest research topics.

CONCLUSION

The study comprehensively analyzes the current status and global trends in the PCOS field, providing a significant reference for researchers to explore this field effectively.