A bibliometric analysis of the top 100 most-cited articles in interventional cardiology: trends, authors, journals, origins, and gender representation.

Introduction: Bibliometric analysis provides a quantitative and objective method to identify research trends, influential authors, and institutions within a field, guiding both researchers and funding bodies. Aim: To identify and evaluate the top 100 most-cited articles in interventional cardiology, analyzing citation trends, authorship, funding, geographic origins, and gender representation. Methods: A systematic search was conducted on Scopus in June 2023 by two independent reviewers to identify the top 100 most-cited interventional cardiology articles. Both original and review articles were included regardless of publication year or language. Guideline articles and non-human studies were excluded. Extracted data included citation counts, publication year, study design, author affiliations, gender of first and senior authors, and funding status. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v25.0. Results: The 100 articles received a total of 225 984 citations, with a median of 1640.5 and 100.4 citations per year. Most were randomized controlled trials (61%) and original research (98%), primarily published between 1993 and 2012. The New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet published the majority of these, with the USA contributing 76 articles. Among 747 authors, only 10% of first authors and 14.6% of senior authors were female. No significant correlation was found between gender or funding and citation count. Conclusion: This analysis reveals key trends in interventional cardiology, emphasizing the dominance of high-income countries and underrepresentation of women and developing regions. Greater inclusivity and global collaboration are needed to foster a more equitable research environment.