Application of GLP-1 receptor agonists in kidney disease: a bibliometric analysis

Purpose The global burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) continues to grow, posing considerable challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) were originally developed to lower blood glucose in patients with diabetes mellitus. However, growing evidence supports potential kidney and cardiovascular benefits of GLP-1 RAs, prompting increasing interest in their role in kidney disease. Consequently, GLP-1 RAs have become an important research focus in nephrology. This multi-database bibliometric study systematically mapped research on GLP-1 RAs in kidney disease, with particular emphasis on scientific collaboration, knowledge structure, the evolution of research topics, clinical research patterns, and emerging trends. Methods We searched the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC), Scopus, and PubMed for publications on GLP-1 RAs in relation to kidney disease. The publication period extended from January 1, 2009, to June 27, 2026. After deduplication, document-type screening, and assessment of topical relevance, eligible English-language articles and reviews were included in the bibliometric analysis. VOSviewer, CiteSpace, the R package bibliometrix, and Pajek were used for bibliometric analysis and visualization. The analyses included annual publication trends, collaboration among countries or regions, institutions, and authors, major journals and cited sources, keyword co-occurrence, thematic clusters, temporal changes in research hotspots, and disease–drug–outcome patterns in the clinical literature. Results A total of 6,296 publications involving 36,046 authors were included. Annual publication output showed a sustained increase, with research activity concentrated primarily in North America, Europe, and East Asia. The United States led in both research output and the absolute number of internationally collaborative publications, while China also contributed a substantial number of publications. The University of Copenhagen and the University of Toronto were among the most productive institutions in this field. Peter Rossing, Katherine R. Tuttle, and Hiddo Jan Lambers Heerspink were leading contributors in publication output and scientific collaboration. Relevant studies were published mainly in journals specializing in diabetes and metabolism, endocrinology, cardiovascular medicine, molecular sciences, and related clinical disciplines. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism was the most productive journal, while New England Journal of Medicine received the most local citations. Keyword co-occurrence, thematic clustering, and temporal analyses revealed a gradual broadening in research priorities. Research initially centered on glycemic control, pharmacokinetics, drug safety, and established glucose-lowering therapies. More recently, attention has increasingly expanded toward CKD, diabetic kidney disease (DKD), albuminuria, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), cardiovascular outcomes, obesity, and clinically relevant kidney outcomes. Recent topics included semaglutide, obesity, tirzepatide, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, and finerenone, reflecting increasing interest in integrated cardiorenal-metabolic management and newer therapeutic strategies. Clinical co-occurrence analyses further showed that type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) had the strongest overall co-occurrence pattern among the displayed disease categories, while DKD, CKD, obesity, heart failure, and acute kidney injury were also represented. Kidney-related outcome domains included albuminuria, eGFR, kidney function, and kidney failure. Combination-therapy and other cardiorenal treatment-related terms occurred within the same broader keyword network, indicating thematic overlap across therapeutic strategies without establishing incremental benefit or clinical superiority of specific combinations. Conclusion Research on GLP-1 RAs in kidney disease is advancing rapidly, with the research focus broadening from glucose-lowering therapy and pharmacologic evaluation toward kidney outcomes and integrated cardiorenal-metabolic management. The current literature is centered largely on T2DM, CKD, and DKD, while research has increasingly incorporated obesity, cardiovascular risk, heart failure, and broader kidney-related clinical contexts. Future research should further clarify long-term kidney outcomes, potential kidney-protective mechanisms, the role of combination-treatment strategies, and patient selection across different CKD etiologies, stages, and clinical phenotypes. Long-term clinical and real-world evidence will be important for defining the role of GLP-1 RAs, alone and alongside other cardiorenal therapies, in individualized kidney care.