Heliyon (Sep 2024)

COVID-19 and diabetes research: Where are we now and what does the future hold? A bibliometric visualization analysis

  • Xunlan Zhang,
  • Ru Wen,
  • Hengzhi Chen,
  • Jian Liu,
  • Yu Wu,
  • Min Xu,
  • Rongpin Wang,
  • Xianchun Zeng

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 18
p. e37615

Abstract

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Background & objective: The extensive spread of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) worldwide has caused a dramatic negative impact on many individuals' health. This study aims to systematically and comprehensively analyze the current status and possible future directions of diabetes mellitus (DM) and COVID-19 research. Methods: We obtained publications about COVID-19 and DM from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) using the search terms ''COVID-19″ and similar terms combined with ''DM'' and similar terms, with a date range of January 2020 to May 2024. And we used CiteSpace V 6.3.R2 to perform the bibliometric visualization analysis. Results: The search enrolled 6266 publications. The USA is a country with the most publications; Harvard University was the most productive institution in this field. The highest-ranked journal was the PLOS ONE, and the most cited journal was Lancet. The 20 most cited journals have all been cited 28754 times, accounting for 28 % of the total cites; the range of those journals was 790–3197. Publications on COVID-19 and DM research exhibited a distinct trajectory, shifting from an initial emphasis on understanding the impact of diabetes on COVID-19 infection and its associated pathophysiological mechanisms to a focus on analyzing the differential responses of diverse patient populations. Subsequently, research has progressed to examine the effects of medications and vaccines, as well as the long-term consequences of COVID-19 in diabetic individuals. Throughout this research endeavor, the exploration of diverse therapeutic interventions, their efficacy, and ultimate outcomes have consistently remained a paramount focus. And '' metabolic syndrome,'' '' long COVID,'' and '' gestational diabetes'' are still likely to be the hotspots and frontiers of research in the future. Conclusions: This bibliometric analysis related to DM in COVID-19 illuminates the current research situation and developmental trends, supporting researchers in the exploration of prospective directions for research.

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