Bibliometric Analysis of ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction Research from 1933 to 2023: Focus on Top 100 Most-Cited Articles

The primary objective of this study was to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the most influential papers on ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI). Using the Scopus database (October 2024), a targeted search was performed to identify relevant publications. Three retrieval options were considered based on the appearance of search terms. Precisely those documents were analyzed where the search terms appeared only in the title, allowing for a focused analysis of the most directly relevant studies. Next, from this search, the top 100 most cited papers, spanning from 1981 to 2018, were selected for detailed examination. Data analysis was conducted using VOSviewer and R Studio to provide insights into publication trends, author productivity, and the thematic focus of STEMI research. Author performance was evaluated through various bibliometric indicators, including total publications (TP), total citations (TC), h-index, g-index, m-index, HG composite, and Q2 index. Key metrics such as mean total citations per article (MeanTCperArt) and mean annual citation rate (MeanTCperYear) were also calculated. Thematic analysis of research topics was conducted using unigrams, bigrams, and trigrams, highlighting primary areas of focus across the most impactful STEMI studies. The results underscore significant trends in STEMI research, with highly cited papers shaping the field's evolution. This bibliometric approach provides valuable insights into research patterns, major contributors, and prevalent themes within STEMI literature.