The most frequently cited articles on chronic kidney disease and cerebrovascular disease from 2011 to 2021: A bibliometric and visualized analysis

Abstract Background There is growing evidence that suggests a strong relationship between chronic kidney disease and cerebrovascular disease. However, previous studies have only explored one aspect or feature of chronic kidney disease and cerebrovascular disease, with limited discussion of the current status and trends of research on both. This article provides a visual analysis of highly cited articles on chronic kidney disease and cerebrovascular disease, and further explores the current hotspots of interest and future trends. Understanding this relationship can help nephrologists and neurologists meet clinical and scientific needs. Methods On September 31, 2022, we screened and identified the 100 most frequently cited original articles on chronic kidney disease and cerebrovascular disease research topics. We then analyzed the articles by title, author, country, journal, article type (review, article, etc.), total citations, and keywords. Results The 100 articles we identified were cited a total of 3487 times (an average of 23.8 citations per paper). The journal that publishes the most articles from amongst these was the Journal of Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases (n = 12), followed by Cerebrovascular Diseases (n = 8), and American Journal of Kidney Diseases (n = 5). Japan produced 22 of the 100 articles, followed by The United States (n = 21) and China (n = 16). Clinical studies were most common (n = 66), followed by reviews (n = 32) and animal studies (n = 2). The main keywords were “chronic kidney disease,” “glomerular filtration rate,” “stroke,” “risk factor,” “cardiovascular-disease,” “small vessel disease,” “cognitive impairment,” “dialysis,” “renal dysfunction,” and “hemodialysis.” Conclusions This study identified the most influential articles in studies of chronic kidney disease and cerebrovascular disease over the last decade. The most prominent themes in the literature were explorations of the underlying mechanisms, particularly in terms of small vessel associations, searching for biomarkers that can predict their severity, and the prognosis and treatment of cerebrovascular disease in end-stage renal disease, particularly among dialysis patients.