Interdisciplinary perspectives on diabetes and microcirculatory dysfunction: A global bibliometric analysis

Figure 1 Systematic search and selection flowchart. This flowchart delineates the systematic process adopted in our study, divided into three sequential stages: Identification, purification, and bibliometric analysis and visualization. The identification stage involved a comprehensive search of original articles written in English from inception until December 31, 2023, using the search criteria (TS = (diabetes)) AND (TS = (microcirculation) OR TS = (microvascular)). This search yielded 11357 and 9042 publications from Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and PubMed, respectively. During the purification stage, 6297 duplicate entries were removed from the PubMed dataset. Subsequently, two independent researchers scrutinized the remaining studies, excluding 936 and 280 studies from WoSCC and PubMed, respectively, that failed to meet predefined inclusion criteria. In the bibliometric analysis and visualization stage, the remaining 12886 original articles underwent detailed bibliometric analysis, encompassing aspects such as annual publication volumes, contributing countries/regions, institutions, journals, authors, keywords, and citation metrics. Additionally, a focused bibliometric exploration involving the search terms (TS = (COVID) OR TS = (COVID-19) OR TS = (corona virus disease 2019) OR TS = (novel coronavirus) OR TS = (SARS-Cov-2)) identified 44 relevant articles examining the intersections between diabetes, microcirculation, and COVID-19. Arrows within the flowchart indicate the sequential progression of the research process. WoSCC: Web of Science Core Collection; COVID: Coronavirus disease; SARS-Cov-2: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Figure 2 Temporal and geographic trends in diabetes-microcirculation research. This figure elucidates various aspects of the research landscape in diabetes and microcirculation. A: Panel charts the progression of annual publication volumes, reflecting an escalating interest within the academic community; B: Panel shows a map illustrating the geographical dispersion of research contributions on a global scale; C: Panel displays a co-citation network for different countries/regions, highlighting the collaborative dynamics among international research entities. The bibliometric relationships among these nations are indicated by the line thickness in the network diagrams, where a thicker line suggests stronger linkages. Additionally, the node size in these diagrams corresponds to the mean publication count per year for each country, shedding light on the scholarly influence and dissemination of the research from these areas. The circles are color-coded according to the average annual citation rate, visually encapsulating citation dynamics over time; D-F: Panels explore the annual publications metrics for selected nations, specifically the United States of America (E), Australia (E), Italy (D), the United Kingdom (F), and China (D).

Figure 3 Keyword dynamics and thematic clusters in diabetes-microcirculation research. A: Panel shows the clustered grouping of these keywords, indicating thematic concentrations in the research; B: Panel presents a timeline of keyword clusters within the field. Circles are color-coded to represent the year each keyword first appeared in the literature, providing a historical perspective on the evolution of research themes. The size of each node indicates the volume of documents associated with that keyword, highlighting the prevalence of specific topics within the field; C: Panel depicts a co-occurrence network of keywords, where the node size reflects the frequency of keyword citation, underscoring the relative prominence of certain terms. The spatial proximity between nodes indicates their co-occurrence in literature, while the thickness of the connecting lines quantifies the strength of these associations. The color of each circle indicates the average citation year of the documents in which the keywords appear, offering insights into the temporal relevance of different topics.

Figure 4 Detailed keyword association networks in diabetes-microcirculation studies. This figure elaborates on the relationships between central keywords and their associated terms within the domain of diabetes and microcirculation. A-G: Each panel focuses on a specific keyword ("microcirculation", "endothelial dysfunction", "oxidative stress", "microvascular complications", "methodology", "polymorphism", and "care") and visualizes its connections to other relevant keywords. Node size corresponds to the frequency of usage of each keyword, illustrating the dominance or focus of certain terms in the literature. The distance between nodes depicts the linkage based on keyword co-occurrence, while the thickness of the lines indicates the strength of these connections, providing a metric of association strength between topics.

Figure 5 Impactful keywords and core research themes over time. A: Panel portrays the 25 most impactful keywords, demonstrated through their citation bursts from 1959 to 2023. The timeline is visualized with blue lines, whereas periods of intensified citation activity are marked in red, pinpointing when certain themes surged in academic relevance. This representation effectively traces the temporal dynamics of topic prominence within the field. Terms such as NIDDM and IDDM are highlighted, underscoring significant focal points of both historical and current research endeavors; B: Panel delineates four principal themes central to diabetes and microcirculation research. The inner circle categorizes the main topics, while the outer ring elaborates on the specific aspects associated with each theme. IDDM: Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus; NIDDM: Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.