What question did this study set out to answer?

To provide a comprehensive bibliometric overview of the research trends on COPD complicated by sarcopenia from 2005 to 2025.

May 16, 2026International Journal of COPD0 citationsOpen Access

From Weight Loss to Standardized Sarcopenia Assessment: A Multi-Database Bibliometric Study of COPD with Sarcopenia (2005–2025)

HFHanyu FangFirst People's Hospital of Chongqing YZYiyuanzi ZhaoDongzhimen Hospital Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine JWJiaqi WangDongzhimen Hospital Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine

Key Points

To provide a comprehensive bibliometric overview of the research trends on COPD complicated by sarcopenia from 2005 to 2025.
Analyzed English-language articles on COPD with sarcopenia from Web of Science and Scopus (2005-2025).
Conducted bibliometric and visualization analyses using bibliometrix/biblioshiny, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace.
Evaluated publication trends, collaboration networks, and research hotspots.
Identified 922 publications; output increased significantly since 2018, peaking in 2025.
US and China were leading contributors, with high international collaboration from several European countries.
Research focus shifted from basic descriptions to standardized assessments and clinical management, highlighting mechanisms like inflammation and metabolic abnormalities.

Abstract

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often coexists with sarcopenia, contributing to poorer exercise tolerance, quality of life, and prognosis. Although interest in this topic has increased, a comprehensive bibliometric overview is still lacking. Methods: English-language articles and reviews on COPD complicated with sarcopenia published between 2005 and 2025 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus. After screening and deduplication, bibliometric and visualisation analyses were conducted using bibliometrix/biblioshiny, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace to evaluate publication trends, major contributors, collaboration networks, co-citation patterns, and keyword evolution. Results: A total of 922 publications from 421 journals were included. Output increased markedly over time, especially after 2018, peaking in 2025. The United States and China were the main contributors and major collaboration hubs, while several European countries showed strong international collaboration and high citation impact. Core journals included International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, and Clinical Nutrition. Co-citation analysis showed that the knowledge base was mainly supported by studies on COPD systemic effects and body composition, together with consensus documents on sarcopenia definition and grading. Research hotspots evolved from early work on weight loss, malnutrition, and muscle wasting to functional assessment and clinical outcomes, and more recently to interventions such as nutrition support, resistance training, and pulmonary rehabilitation, alongside emerging mechanistic themes including inflammation, oxidative stress, and metabolic abnormalities. Conclusion: Research on COPD complicated with sarcopenia has shifted from descriptive phenotypes to standardised assessment, functional outcomes, and clinical management. Future studies should strengthen multicentre longitudinal designs and multidisciplinary collaboration to better integrate mechanisms with clinical assessment and intervention. Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, sarcopenia, comorbidity, bibliometric analysis, co-citation, research trends

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