Application of Mendelian randomization in cardiovascular disease: Bibliometric analysis and visualization from 2003 to 2024

Introduction： Mendelian randomization (MR) is an innovative epidemiological research method. In order to summarize and clarify the research status of MR related to cardiovascular disease (CVD), and point out the possible future development direction, we conducted a comprehensive and multi-dimensional bibliometric analysis of the literature published in this field from 2003 to 2024. Methods: We analyzed 1,870 articles published between 2003 and 2024 from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) using VOSviewer, R software, bibliometric online analysis tool and CiteSpace software. Results: CVD‐related MR research demonstrated an overall upward trend, with the United States leading in terms of publication output, followed by the United Kingdom and China. The most prolific institution in this field was the University of Bristol, and Smith GD, who had the highest number of publications (n = 103), was also affiliated with this institution. The European Heart Journal (36 publications, 5,023 citations) was the most cited journal. Related topics of frontiers will still focus on mendelian randomization, coronary heart disease, heart failure, c-reactive protein, cholesterol and body mass index. Conclusions: As the scope of MR studies continues to expand, especially the number of measurable features continues to increase, the need for rigorous methods and critical interpretation of MR findings becomes increasingly apparent. However, this ease of use can compromise the reliability of study results due to methodological flaws and publication bias, thereby affecting the perceived significance of the results. Nonetheless, with the emergence of large genetic datasets supporting two-sample MR, resources such as MR-Base and PhenoScanner, MR remains a powerful method for identifying potential pathogenic features in cardiometabolic and other diseases. In addition, it plays a crucial role in prioritizing drug targets for entry into clinical trials.