Trends and Hot Spots of Macrophages Linked to Metabolic Syndrome: A Comprehensive Bibliometric and Visualization Analysis (2014-2024).

Abstract

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been closely associated with macrophages, as evidenced by a substantial body of literature. However, a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of this research domain remains absent. This study aims to systematically assess the current state of research, identify emerging trends, and investigate key hot spots within macrophage-related MetS research from a bibliometric perspective. Methods: Data including 1657 records on macrophages and their association with MetS were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database, covering the period from 2014 to 2024. The analysis was conducted using VOSviewer (v1.6.20), CiteSpace (v6.3.R1), the R package "bibliometrix" (v4.4.1), and Excel 2019. Results: The annual number of publications peaked in 2017, 2018, and 2021, followed by a decline. However, the increasing citation count suggests growing recognition and influence of this research area. The United States and China account for over half of the academic output in this field, with strong collaborative networks positioning them as key contributors to its advancement. Yan Huang emerged as the most prolific author, while Gozal David had the highest co-citation frequency. Frontiers in Immunology was identified as the most active journal in this domain, whereas the Journal of Clinical Investigation recorded the highest citation impact. Keywords such as "inflammation," "obesity," and "insulin resistance" appeared most frequently, with "gut microbiota" showing the strongest citation bursts. Themes like inflammation, obesity, and expression need sustained attention and resource allocation, while themes such as macrophage activation syndrome, diagnosis, and mutations need a strategic reevaluation. Conclusion: This study systematically evaluates the research landscape, priorities, and emerging trends of macrophages associated with MetS over the last decade, providing an overview of the field and valuable insights for researchers.