Bibliometric Trends in Inflammasome‑Driven Pyroptosis and Cardiovascular Disease

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Research
• Immunology
• Cell Death Mechanisms

Background:

• Pyroptosis, an inflammatory programmed cell death, is crucial in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) like hypertension, atherosclerosis, and heart failure.
• Inflammasome activation drives pyroptosis, a rapidly growing research area within CVD.
• No prior bibliometric analysis has comprehensively synthesized inflammasome-driven pyroptosis research in CVD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct the first bibliometric analysis of inflammasome-driven pyroptosis research in cardiovascular disease.
• To systematically map the evolution, trends, and key areas of this research field.
• To identify emerging hotspots and future research directions.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric and visual analyses were performed on 4,511 documents (1998-2025) from the Web of Science Core Collection.
• CiteSpace and VOSviewer were utilized to analyze publication trends, country/region, institutions, authors, journals, and keywords.
• Keyword co-occurrence analysis identified research clusters and emerging trends.

Main Results:

• China leads in publications (50.1%), while the US has the highest h-index (147). Harvard University is a leading institution.
• The NLRP3 inflammasome is the most frequently studied and cited topic.
• Emerging research frontiers include the interplay between pyroptosis and ferroptosis, with recent bursts in 2024-2025.

Conclusions:

• NLRP3 inflammasome is the core focus in inflammasome-driven pyroptosis research in CVD.
• Research is shifting from basic mechanisms to translational applications.
• Future research should explore pyroptosis-ferroptosis crosstalk and patient stratification for clinical trials.