Bibliometric analysis of diabetes research in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Diabetes is a common co-morbid condition that influences morbidity and mortality in patients with COVID-19 and has been a focus of intense research. However, a systematic assessment of global diabetes research concerning COVID-19 is unavailable. Aim: We aimed to provide a bibliometric assessment of research output on diabetes concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: Publications on diabetes in relation to COVID-19 were retrieved from the Scopus database and analyzed using appropriate bibliometric indicators. Results: The publications indexed till January 6, 2021 numbered 762. The share of the top 10 of the 82 countries was 90.6%. The USA, China, India, Italy, and the UK were the most productive countries, with publication share ranging from 11.4% to 17.8%. Brazil, China, Germany, Australia, France, and India registered higher publication impact. The average citations per paper were 7.3, and 19.4% of the publications were funded. The share of publications on type 2 diabetes, type 1 diabetes, and gestational diabetes was 23.2%, 16.5%, and 4.1%, respectively. Diabetic complications, clinical studies, and epidemiology were the most researched aspects of diabetes concerning COVID-19, with 47.9%, 23.3%, and 14.0% share, respectively. Publications on pathophysiology numbered only 93 (12.2%). The most productive organizations were Tongji Medical College, China, Huazhong University, China, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, India, and INSERM, France. Obesity and Cholesterol Foundation, India, Imperial College, UK, and The Central Hospital of Wuhan, China were the most impactful organizations. R. Pal, A. Ceriello, and B. Cariou were the most productive authors, whereas A. Misra, R. Gupta, and A.K. Singh were the most impactful. The most active journals were Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research and Reviews, Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, and Diabetes Care. Conclusion: Extensive high-quality research has been conducted on diabetes in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic in developed and developing countries. There is a need to focus on pathophysiological studies to elucidate further the underlying mechanisms that predispose COVID-19-affected diabetes patients to severe disease and death. Our scientometric assessment may help understand the research gaps and guide future research in this field.