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Published on: March 10, 2020

A bibliometric analysis of medication studies in congenital heart disease

Hugo Veldtman1, Muhammad Abdullah Nizam2, Sarah Brock3

  • 1University of Edinburgh Medical School, United Kingdom.

International Journal of Cardiology. Congenital Heart Disease
|July 13, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Research on medications for congenital heart disease (CHD) is limited, with few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and a plateau in publications since 2013. Further studies are needed to broaden the evidence base for CHD pharmacotherapy.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Pharmacology
  • Clinical Research

Background:

  • Evidence-based practice in cardiology relies heavily on randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
  • A significant gap exists in the literature regarding RCTs for congenital heart disease (CHD).
  • Existing medication studies in CHD patients have not been comprehensively analyzed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate and characterize the landscape of medication studies in congenital heart disease.
  • To identify trends and limitations in CHD pharmacotherapy research.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic literature search was conducted across multiple databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Emcare, Academic Search Premier) from January 2000 to May 2024.
  • Studies focused on CHD drug interventions were included, excluding genetic conditions with cardiovascular issues and non-CHD pulmonary hypertension.
  • Bibliometric analysis and time-series breakpoint analysis were employed to assess publication trends.

Main Results:

  • 160 CHD medication studies involving 59,208 participants were analyzed.
  • Only 29.4% of the included trials were randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
  • Publication output showed growth until 2013, followed by a contraction; pulmonary hypertension drugs dominated (58.1%), and industry-funded trials were more likely to be RCTs.

Conclusions:

  • Contemporary research in CHD pharmacotherapy is limited in scope and demographics, with a global plateau since 2013.
  • Many studies are single-center, focus on pulmonary hypertension, and lack placebo control.
  • There is a critical need to expand the evidence base for medication interventions in congenital heart disease.
Abstract

Keywords:
Clinical outcomesCongenital heart diseasePharmacotherapy/drugsPrognosisRandomized placebo-controlled trialsTrial design

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