Global research trends and prognostic risk factors for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: a bibliometric analysis from 2003 to 2025

BACKGROUND: Prognostic risk factors exert a critical influence on outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, global research trends and the primary determinants of research hotspots remain to be fully elucidated. METHODS: A bibliometric analysis was conducted using CiteSpace and VOSviewer on 416 English-language publications retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database spanning 2003 to 2025. The analysis evaluated publication trends, contributions by country and institution, author productivity, journal impact, keyword co-occurrence, and citation networks. RESULTS: The annual number of publications demonstrated a steady increase, particularly post-2016, reflecting a surge in scientific interest. China emerged as the leading contributor in terms of publication output. Author analysis identified 115 core authors, with Gierlotka, Marek and Polonski, Lech being the most prolific. The collaborative author network revealed five major research clusters. BMC Cardiovascular Disorders was identified as the primary source journal, while Circulation exhibited the highest citation impact. Keyword co-occurrence and burst detection analysis highlighted evolving research focuses, including risk stratification, primary angioplasty, inflammation, heart failure, and biomarker-based prognosis. Key risk factors influencing STEMI prognosis included advanced age, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, acute kidney injury, cardiogenic shock, and cardiac arrest. Current research trends focus on biomarkers and scoring systems; specifically, there is a trend toward investigating target biomarkers such as CXCL16 and miR-146a, while scoring systems still require tools specifically tailored for STEMI. CONCLUSION: The field of STEMI prognosis research is progressively evolving. Current research hotspots are concentrated on risk factors affecting STEMI prognosis, the investigation of targeted biomarkers, and the development of risk stratificat.