Global Research Trends and Collaborative Networks in Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis for Dialysis Patients: A...

Chronic kidney disease is a global public health issue. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a non-invasive and cost-effective method used for nearly three decades to assess the nutritional and volume status of dialysis patients. Despite its clinical utility, the quality of research and emerging trends in this field are not well understood. To address this gap, we conducted a bibliometric and visualization analysis from 1990 to 2024.

A comprehensive search in the Web of Science Core Collection on December 31, 2024, yielded 460 citations of reviews, articles, and publications in English. These were visualized and analyzed using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and R-bibliometric techniques to identify trends related to authors, journals, countries, institutions, collaborative networks, keywords, and other relevant factors in BIA research in renal dialysis.

Our study revealed the USA was the most productive country, followed by China. In terms of average citations per article, the USA led, followed by Italy and UK Additionally, the USA, Brazil, and the UK exhibited high multiple country publications ratios, reflecting strong participation in international collaborations. The top three keywords are "hemodialysis," "body composition," and "peritoneal dialysis."

The USA, China, and UK emerged as the leading contributors in terms of publication output. Furthermore, the USA, Brazil, and the UK are highly active in international collaboration. Future research should aim to integrate long-term BIA data with patient-specific clinical factors to optimize dialysis treatment strategies and reduce complications. The field has made progress but needs improvement, especially in international collaborations.