Advancements in Hypertension and Physical Activity Research: A Bibliometric Analysis

PURPOSE: Although research on hypertension and physical activity has expanded in the past few decades, an attempt has yet to be made to characterize the published landscape on this research topic. This study aimed to evaluate research trends in hypertension studies to which physical activity was applied as a lifestyle modification.METHODS: Articles containing two keywords, ‘hypertension’ and ‘physical activity’, were used to search Web of Science, PUBMED, and SCOPUS for articles published from January 2000 to June 2023. After trimming, a total of 2,042 publications were chosen for bibliometric analysis.RESULTS: Over time, a gradual growth in the number of publications was observed. The findings of bibliometric analysis suggest that research on this topic is more active in developed countries than in their developing counterparts. Our findings demonstrate that chronic disease complications, such as ‘diabetes’, ‘obesity’, and ‘cardiovascular disease’, were the most popular research agendas associated with hypertension and physical activity.CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that ‘physical activity’ has become an important keyword in not only hypertension, but also hypertension-associated complex diseases. More scholars from various backgrounds and geographical regions, in particularly developing countries, are expected to join the discussion on hypertension and physical activity.