REVIEW   

Minerva Medica 2021 August;112(4):506-13

DOI: 10.23736/S0026-4806.20.06447-2

Copyright © 2020 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Emerging trends in cardiovascular research: HFpEF in the spotlight. A bibliometric analysis of the years 2009-2016

Christoph EDLINGER ^{1, 2, 3} ✉, Tobias MÖSENLECHNER ³, Florian KRIZANIC ⁴, Bernhard WERNLY ³, Daniel KRETZSCHMAR ⁵, Uta C. HOPPE ³, Christian BUTTER ^{1, 2}, Michael NEUSS ^{1, 2}, Michel NOUTSIAS ⁶, Christina GRANITZ ³, Christiana SCHERNTHANER ³, Wilfried WINTERSTELLER ³, Michael LICHTENAUER ³

¹ Department of Cardiology, Heart Center Brandenburg, Bernau bei Berlin, Germany; ² Brandenburg Medical School (MHB) “Theodor Fontane”, Neuruppin, Germany; ³ Clinic of Internal Medicine II, Department of Cardiology, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria; ⁴ Department of Cardiology, Caritas Clinic Pankow, Berlin, Germany; ⁵ Clinic of Internal Medicine I, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany; ⁶ Mid-German Heart Center, Department of Internal Medicine III, Division of Cardiology, Angiology and Intensive Medical Care, University Hospital Halle, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany

INTRODUCTION: Up to 50% of patients suffering from acute decompensated heart failure show normal or slightly reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). This syndrome, which is known as heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is associated with increasing age. Epidemiological studies could portrait an increasing importance and an even emerging prevalence in the past decades. Still, there is currently no evidenced based medical treatment option available. Our aims were to identify upcoming trends and emerging concepts and to point out important centers in the global research of HFpEF.
EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: We performed a bibliometric study on current science in the field of HFpEF to identify study characteristics, impact factors and the countries of origin of basic and clinical studies that were published within the years 2009 to 2016. We further prepared density equalizing maps for visualization of the obtained data.
EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: A total of 5413 studies was screened, of which 794 were found eligible. The scientific output in clinical studies rose from 25 in 2009 to 165 in 2016. Most of the publications had a clinical topic, followed by studies on new imaging techniques. Basic research trials were by far beyond. The USA, Japan and Germany were identified as the most important national contributors to global scientific output.
CONCLUSIONS: This first bibliometric study in the field of HFpEF shows a substantial increase of research within the last decade, mainly in the USA, Japan, and continental Europe. As an ongoing therapeutic trend in this field, we identified RAAS-blockade and 5-phosphodiesterase-inhibition.

KEY WORDS: Heart failure; Bibliometrics; Aged; Epidemiologic studies