SynthesisJournal of cardiothoracic surgery2026
Application of aquatic therapy in cardiovascular disease: a bibliometric analysis from 1992 to 2025.
Synthesis in Journal of cardiothoracic surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundAquatic therapy has emerged as a promising approach for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). To evaluate trends and hotspots in this area, a bibliometric analysis was conducted from 1992 to 2025.
methodsA systematic search was conducted on the Web of Science Core Collection database (SCIE and SSCI) to identify publications on aquatic therapy in CVD from 1992 to 2025. A disease-specific search strategy using validated CVD terminology was employed, followed by manual relevance screening to ensure corpus specificity. Bibliometric analysis used VOSviewer (v1.6.20), CiteSpace (v6.3.R1) and R package "Bibliometrix" (V4.5.2).
resultsThe analysis included 94 articles by 473 authors from 321 institutions across 34 countries. The annual publication growth rate was 6.07%. Brazil, China, and Sweden were the most productive countries. Universidade de São Paulo published the most articles. High-impact journals such as International Journal of Biometeorology and European Journal of Heart Failure were key in disseminating research. Authors Guimarães Guilherme Veiga and Bocchi Edimar Alcides emerged as central figures in collaboration networks. Keyword analysis identified six thematic clusters: (1) hemodynamic responses and exercise protocols; (2) cardiac rehabilitation, vascular function, and clinical outcomes; (3) CVD risk management and clinical guidelines; (4) exercise prescription, quality of life, and program design; (5) balneotherapy, blood pressure control, and comorbid conditions; and (6) aquatic exercise, physical activity, and population-specific interventions. Research evolved from physiological responses and protocol development to quality of life, patient-centered outcomes, and clinical implementation. Burst analysis showed "cardiac rehabilitation," "endothelial function," and "physical activity" as prominent research frontiers since 2018.
conclusionThis bibliometric analysis provides an overview of research in aquatic therapies for CVD. The field has evolved from early physiological investigations toward clinical applications within cardiac rehabilitation frameworks. Future research trends are expected to focus on the integration of aquatic therapy into evidence-based cardiac rehabilitation programs, long-term outcome evaluation, and patients' quality of life.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.