Bibliometric analysis of research on sarcopenia in rheumatoid arthritis: 1997-2025

This study aims to utilize bibliometric techniques to examine the current state, emerging trends, research frontiers, and developmental trajectories in the field of sarcopenia in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

A comprehensive literature search was conducted in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC; SCI-EXPANDED and SSCI) and Scopus databases for studies related to RA and sarcopenia from database inception to December 31, 2025. The search strategy used Boolean operators and field tags with the query: ("rheumatoid arthritis" OR "RA") AND ("sarcopenia" OR "muscle loss" OR "muscle mass" OR "muscle wasting" OR "skeletal muscle" OR "muscular atrophy"). Only articles and reviews published in English were included. Bibliometric analyses were performed using VOSviewer (version 1.6.20) and CiteSpace (version 6.4.R1) to generate visual representations of collaboration networks, keyword co-occurrence, cluster analysis, timeline mapping, and citation burst detection.

A total of 433 documents (476 from WoSCC and 527 from Scopus after deduplication and screening) were included. The annual publication output increased slowly from 1996 to 2007, steadily from 2008 to 2015, and exponentially from 2016 to 2025, with 61 articles published in 2025 alone. The United States ranked first in productivity (67 publications, 5,915 citations), followed by China (63 publications, 961 citations) and Japan (58 publications, 971 citations). Osaka City General Hospital was the most productive institution (20 publications). The journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases published the highest number of articles (66). Keyword co-occurrence analysis identified five major clusters: rheumatoid arthritis, sarcopenia, body composition, cachexia, and skeletal muscle. Timeline and burst detection revealed a clear evolution from descriptive body composition studies (1996-2005) to inflammatory mechanisms (2006-2014), then to epidemiological characterization and non-pharmacological interventions (2015-2020), and finally to diagnostic validation and precision-oriented research (2021-2025). Emerging frontiers include multi-omics approaches (e.g., gut microbiota, cuproptosis), machine learning-based risk prediction, and targeted biologic therapies.

Over the past three decades, research on sarcopenia in rheumatoid arthritis has expanded substantially, with rapid growth in the last five years. The field has shifted from basic description to mechanistic understanding and clinical precision. The identified research hotspots and evolutionary trends provide a valuable roadmap for future investigations into the RA-sarcopenia axis, highlighting the need for standardized screening, multidisciplinary care, and innovative translational research.