@article{AMJ12788,
author = {Fangfang Lu and Lina Zhao and Yiran Luo and Sha Li and Bei Zhang},
title = {Research hotspots and trends in speckle-tracking echocardiography in hypertension: a bibliometric analysis},
journal = {AME Medical Journal},
volume = {11},
number = {0},
year = {2026},
keywords = {},
abstract = {Background: Speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) has emerged as a sensitive tool for detecting subclinical myocardial dysfunction in hypertension. However, a comprehensive bibliometric analysis summarizing the research landscape, trends, and hotspots in this field is lacking. This study aims to systematically analyze the current research status, trends, and hotspots of speckle tracking echocardiography in hypertension using bibliometric methods.Methods: We retrieved publications related to STE and hypertension from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) between November 1, 2005 to January 31, 2025. A total of 449 eligible articles were included and analyzed using CiteSpace (6.4.R1) and VOSviewer (1.6.21) for annual output, country/institution collaboration, journal distribution, keyword co-occurrence, and co-citation clustering. We conducted a bibliometric analysis of publications retrieved from the WoSCC from November 1, 2005 to January 31, 2025. After rigorous screening, 449 articles were analyzed using CiteSpace (6.4.R1) and VOSviewer (1.6.21) for temporal trends, collaborative networks, journal distributions, and conceptual evolution.Results: The annual publication output followed a significant growth trajectory (y = 3.4725X1.6363, R2=0.9983), with accelerated growth of approximately 25% annually during 2012–2014. Italy (90 publications, 32.16 citations per paper), China (70 publications), and the USA (69 publications, 39.38 citations per paper) were the most productive countries. High-impact journals including Hypertension (20 publications, 39.35 citations/paper) and Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography (15 publications, 98.20 citations/paper) published fewer but highly cited articles. Research hotspots evolved from left ventricular hypertrophy assessment (pre-2016) to myocardial work evaluation (post-2018), with “myocardial work” showing the strongest recent citation burst (strength: 7.43).Conclusions: STE is a valuable tool for early detection of myocardial injury in hypertension, and international collaboration plays a pivotal role in advancing the field. Future research should focus on standardizing STE parameters, validating clinical utility in diverse populations, and exploring its prognostic value.},
issn = {2520-0518}, url = {https://amj.amegroups.org/article/view/12788}
}