Abstract
AIM: The objective of this study was to visually analyse global research trends and hotspots regarding the role of PM2.5 in ischemic stroke. METHODS: The Web of Science core collection database was used to search the literature on PM2.5 and ischemic stroke from 2006 to 2024. Visualization analysis was conducted using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and an online bibliometric platform. RESULTS: The analysis comprises 190 articles published between 2006 and 2024 by 1229 authors from 435 institutions in 39 countries, across 78 journals. Wellenius GA has the highest number of published and cited papers. China has the highest number of papers, while Canada has the highest citation frequency. Capital Medical University published the highest number of papers, and Harvard University had the highest citation frequency for a single paper. The study investigated the impact of PM2.5 on ischemic stroke in three phases. The first phase analysed hospitalisation rates for correlations. The second phase utilised large-scale multi-cohort data from around the world. The third phase involved studying global exposure risk through machine learning and model construction. Currently, there is limited research on the mechanisms involved, and further in-depth investigation is required. CONCLUSION: This paper presents a bibliometric analysis of the research framework and hotspots concerning the effect of PM2.5 on ischemic stroke. The analysis aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of this field for researchers. It is expected that research on the effect of PM2.5 on ischemic stroke will remain an important research topic in the future.