Abstract

Background

Many previous studies explored the relationship between diabetes and insulin resistance (IR); however, addressing the research gap where no bibliometric analysis had been conducted to summarize and analyze these publications, we will undertake a comprehensive bibliometric analysis to investigate the current status and emerging trends in publications examining the association between diabetes and IR.

Methods

We retrieved publications related to the interaction between diabetes and IR from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). By utilizing software such as CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Excel 2019, we analyzed and extracted relevant information from the literature to identify and delineate the research hotspots and directions in the study of diabetes and IR.

Results

From 1900 to 2024, a total of 2,698 publications were included in the bibliometric analysis, showing a steady annual increase in the number of publications. The USA led in this research field, with the Harvard University being a key research institution. The author Olefsky JM, published the most papers;Defronzo RA was the most cited author. DIABETES was the journal with the highest number of published papers and was also the most cited journal. The main discipline in the field of diabetes and IR research was Endocrinology and Metabolism. The most cited article was "Mechanisms linking obesity to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (2006)";"The IDF Diabetes Atlas: Global estimates of diabetes prevalence for 2017 and projections for 2045(2018)" was the most cited reference. "insulin resistance" was the most frequently occurring keyword. The main research hotspots and frontier areas in diabetes and IR research were as follows: (1) The association between IR, diabetes, and obesity was a popular research topic; (2) Cardiovascular diseases secondary to diabetes and IR were another hot topic among researchers; (3) As a core pathological change in diabetes, IR was a major therapeutic target for improving diabetes.

Conclusion

This study summarized the research trends and hotspots in the field of diabetes and IR, provided valuable information and insights for scholars who focused on diabetes and IR scientific research, and offered a reference for future research directions.

MeSH

Diabetes Mellitus, Insulin Resistance, Insulin, Bibliometrics, Obesity, Research

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• Application of the C-reactive protein-triglyceride glucose index in predicting the risk of new-onset diabetes in the general population aged 45 years and older: a national prospective cohort study. BMC Endocr Disord, 2025