Emerging trends in anticoagulation therapy: a bibliometric analysis of DOACs and endogenous coagulation pathway inhibitors.

The emergence of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) has revolutionized the landscape of anticoagulation, while emerging targeted inhibitors of endogenous coagulation pathways have introduced novel dimensions to anticoagulant therapy. This study aimed to systematically characterize the evolving research landscape through a comprehensive bibliometric analysis, elucidating historical development, research hotspots, and emerging trends in this field. A total of 1993 relevant publications (1990-2024) was systematically retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. The bibliometric tools including CiteSpace and HistCite were employed to perform the analysis of historical characteristics, evolution analysis of active topics, and identification of emerging trends. The number of articles in this field was growing rapidly, with the USA, China, and Canada emerging as predominant contributors. Moreover, four principal investigators demonstrated sustained academic dominance through high publication output: Zhao Jinhua, Lip Gregory Y.H., Weitz Jeffrey I., and Gao Na. Three distinct research frontiers were identified, including clinical application and medication safety of DOACs, therapeutic potential of factor XI inhibitors for thrombosis prevention with reduced bleeding risks, and the exploration of fucosylated chondroitin sulfate as a novel iXase-targeting anticoagulant. This study presents a systematic review of DOACs and inhibitors targeting endogenous coagulation pathways in antithrombotic therapy. By identifying current research priorities and emerging trends, this analysis serves as an invaluable resource to guide scholars in recognizing novel therapeutic targets and advancing the development of next-generation anticoagulant drugs.