Mapping the Prognostic Landscape of Sarcopenia: A Bibliometric Analysis of Research on Mortality, Survival, and Clinical Complications (2002–2025)

Abstract

The study aimed to conduct a comprehensive analysis of developing trends in sarcopenia, mortality, survival, and clinical complications, providing a thorough description and visual representation of the current state and foci of the field. We searched the Scopus database for literature on sarcopenia, mortality, survival, and clinical complications from 2002 to 2025. A total of 2,746 articles and reviews were included after screening. Analyses of metadata on article publication, countries, authors, institutions, scientific categories, cited journals, and keywords were performed using CiteSpace and VOSviewer. An overall increasing trend in annual publication output was found after 2020. China, Japan, Korea, and the United States of America (USA) were the most prolific countries. China, the USA, and the United Kingdom had the highest international cooperation scores. The West China School of Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, and Sichuan University were the three most productive institutions. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle was the most prolific journal, followed by Nutrients. A thematic evaluation shows that "cross-sectional study" was the most internally cohesive group, while "retrospective study" ranked highest in centrality. Among 250 authors, three main keyword clusters emerged. The "sarcopenia" cluster was the primary focus of the research. Mortality and survival/prognosis dominate the literature, while treatment intolerance and loss of functional independence are under-studied. The "survival" cluster is the thematic core linking assessment to prognosis in oncology, transplantation, and cirrhosis. The "dynapenia" cluster is a high-density but low-frequency niche reflecting muscle strength rather than mass, signalling an emerging but still marginal line of research. We conclude that research focuses on sarcopenia, nutrition, and imaging in ageing populations, particularly in South Korea. The trends shift from diagnostic and survey-based studies toward factor-based studies.