Bibliometric analysis of research hotspots and emerging trends in mitophagy and atherosclerosis (2004-2024)

Abstract

Background: Mitophagy is closely involved in the onset, progression and pathological mechanisms of atherosclerosis. This study set out to provide a comprehensive overview and identify emerging research trends in the field.

Methods: A systematic literature retrieval was conducted across the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) for publications spanning 2004 to 2024. Bibliometric analyses and knowledge mapping were performed utilizing CiteSpace, VOSviewer, R-Bibliometrix, Scimago Graphica and Excel to evaluate the intellectual landscape of the field.

Results: The analysis reveals a fluctuating but overall increasing trend in annual publications. The United States and China are the primary contributors to the body of research, with leading institutions predominantly located in China, the United States, and Russia. Notably, the works of Orekhov AN stand out in terms of both quantity and quality. The most cited studies is Forrester SJ's 2018 publication in Circulation Research. Additionally, keyword analysis highlights the prevailing research hotspots, including: (1) key molecules such as NF κB, NLRP3 inflammasome, and mitochondrial DNA; (2) critical pathological processes such as oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and mitochondrial dynamics; and (3) and the role of mitophagy within vascular smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, and macrophages in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.

Conclusion: The study of mitophagy in atherosclerosis has garnered increasing attention, with substantial progress made in understanding its molecular and cellular mechanisms. This work highlights the current research hotspots and identifies prospective directions for future exploration. Further investigation into the intricate mechanisms governing mitophagy may uncover novel therapeutic strategies that could mitigate the progression of atherosclerosis.

Keywords: atherosclerosis; bibliometrics; mitophagy; molecules; pathological process.

Figure 1

Publication screening flowchart.

Figure 2

(A) Annual output of mitophagy in atherosclerosis publications from 2004 to 2024. (B) Logistic regression on number of articles over years.

Figure 3

(A) The geographical distribution in terms of publications. The larger circle indicates a higher number of articles, and the cooperation is exhibited as links between nodes. (B) The co-occurrence network map of countries/regions. Each node represents a country, where the size of the node indicates the publication volume. (C) Proportional distinction of national cooperation among different countries. (D) The number of total and average citations of the top ten productive countries. (E) The growth curve of different years. (F) The proportion of articles and reviews among countries. (G) Institutions co-occurrence map.

Figure 4

(A) The top 20 journals with the highest output quantity and their impact factor. (B) The top 20 co-cited journals. (C) The top 20 journals with the highest number of local references and their impact factor.

Figure 5

(A) The top 10 authors with the highest output quantity. (B) The top 10 authors with the highest number of local citations. (C) The top 10 authors in terms of citations and their H index. (D) Author co-occurrence map in mitophagy of AS. Each node represents an author, where the size of the node indicates the publication volume and different colors of circles suggest the publication year.

Figure 6

(A) The top 10 most cited by global literature. (B) The top 10 local cited papers. (C) Co-citation network of key papers.

Figure 7

Top 20 references with the strongest citation burst. Strength indicates the intensity of the burst, the blue bars represent the paper published initially, the red bars mean citation burst.

Figure 8

(A) Word cloud of keywords. (B) Keyword co-occurrence network map. (C) Cluster analysis of keywords. (D) Top 15 keywords with the strongest citation bursts. (E) Timeline distribution of the top 9 clusters.