Global trends and knowledge structure of cardiovascular magnetocardiography research: a bibliometric analysis

Background Cardiovascular diseases remain a leading global health threat. Recent advances in room-temperature sensing and artificial intelligence (AI) have renewed research interest in the clinical translation of magnetocardiography (MCG) for cardiovascular diagnosis, yet the global research evolution of MCG has yet to be quantitatively characterized. Methods Literature from the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus (2000–2026) was analyzed using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and R to evaluate publication trends, knowledge networks, and evolving frontiers. Results A total of 631 WoSCC and 755 Scopus articles were included. The publication trajectory exhibits a prolonged plateau followed by substantial recent growth. Germany, the United States, and China are the most prolific contributors. Keyword analysis revealed a diversification of technological and analytical themes. While early literature was strongly associated with superconducting quantum interference devices-based MCG, recent research has increasingly highlighted optically pumped magnetometers, magnetic-field control, sensor arrays, magnetic noise suppression, and AI-based signal analysis. The application landscape has broadened from physiological validation to coronary artery disease diagnosis, arrhythmia assessment, and fetal electrophysiology. Conclusion Collectively, these findings suggest that the evolution of cardiovascular MCG reflects the parallel development and interaction of sensor technologies, AI-based analysis, and emerging clinical applications. Future research should prioritize standardized protocols, scalable and robust acquisition systems, and explainable AI models to accelerate clinical implementation.