Key result
Bibliometric analysis maps 2,621 papers highlighting mechanisms and metabolic interventions in obesity-related AF.
Why the study?
Although obesity is an independent risk factor for AF and has been extensively studied for 2 decades, research hotspots and emerging trends in obesity-related AF needed systematic bibliometric evaluation.
This bibliometric analysis highlights the growing research interest in obesity-related atrial fibrillation, identifying key trends such as metabolic interventions, the obesity paradox, and the integration of AI in risk prediction.
Guides prioritization of obesity-AF research toward mechanisms and interventions; leaves open clinical implications pending prospective data.
Background: Obesity is a well-established independent risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF), and its association has been extensively investigated over the past 2 decades. This bibliometric analysis systematically evaluates research hotspots and emerging trends in the field of obesity-related AF. Methods: We extracted data from Web of Science Core Collection and conducted visualization analysis using CiteSpace (Drexel University, Chaomei Chen) and VOSviewer (Leiden University, Centre for Science and Technology Studies) software. Results: Among the 2621 included publications, annual publication counts demonstrated a consistent upward trend. The United States contributed the most studies, with the Mayo Clinic being the most prolific institution and Lip GYH being the most published author. Research in this field spanned multiple disciplines, with circulation as the most influential journal. The most frequent keywords were AF, obesity, and risk factors, along with 20 high-frequency and 25 burst keywords, indicating evolving trends. Conclusion: Through systematic bibliometric analysis, this study highlights key research hotspots and frontiers: cross-disease dimensional analysis, pathophysiological mechanisms, metabolic interventions, the obesity paradox, and AI applications in obesity-related AF. These findings provide a quantitative foundation for future research and offer valuable insights for investigators in this field.
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Du et al. (2026) conducted a review in Obesity-related atrial fibrillation (n=2,621). Obesity-related atrial fibrillation research was evaluated. A bibliometric analysis of 2,621 publications on obesity-related atrial fibrillation identified key research hotspots including pathophysiological mechanisms, metabolic interventions, and the obesity paradox.
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