Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common chronic disease characterized by airflow obstruction due to chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema, which can further progress to cor pulmonale and respiratory failure. In recent years, the association between gut microbiota and COPD has attracted extensive attention from researchers. This study aimed to explore the current research hotspots, knowledge gaps, and future research trends in the field of gut microbiota and COPD. Methods A comprehensive search of literature related to gut microbiota and COPD published between 2009 and 2025 was conducted using the Web of Science and Scopus databases. Bibliometric analyses were performed using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and R software. Results The number of publications in this field showed a significant growth trend from 2009 to 2025, with the highest number of publications recorded in 2024. China and the United States were the leading contributing countries, and institutions such as the University of Technology Sydney made important contributions. The International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease served as the core publication platform in this field, and Hansbro, Philip M. was a key contributor. Research in this field involved keywords including gut-lung axis, inflammation, probiotics, bacteria, and short chain fatty acid, which revealed the core themes and trends of studies on gut microbiota and COPD. Conclusion To our knowledge, this study presents the first quantitative bibliometric analysis of the field of gut microbiota and COPD. The core research hotspots identified include the characteristics of gut microbiota alterations in COPD patients, as well as the reciprocal interactions and underlying mechanisms between COPD and gut microbiota; microbiota intervention strategies have also emerged as an emerging research direction. Investigating immune regulation mediated by gut microbial metabolites has become an important trend in this field. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the current research status and key hotspots in the field of gut microbiota and COPD, offering important references and insights for subsequent studies in related fields.
Wu et al. (2026) studied this question.