Clinical Scorecard: The Increasing Role of Asian Research in Obesity Surgery: A 40-Year Bibliometric Review

At a Glance

Key Highlights

• Obesity prevalence is rising significantly in Asia, with China reporting a 16.4% adult obesity rate linked to premature mortality.
• Bariatric metabolic surgery, introduced in 1954, is an effective intervention for sustainable weight loss and comorbidity management.
• Bibliometric analysis reveals increasing Asian contributions to BMS research, with China playing a pivotal role.

Guideline-Based Recommendations

Diagnosis

• Identify obesity and related metabolic disorders as indications for bariatric metabolic surgery.

Management

• Utilize bariatric metabolic surgery techniques such as sleeve gastrectomy, gastric band, and roux-en-y gastric bypass for effective obesity treatment.

Monitoring & Follow-up

• Track research trends and publication outputs to assess evolving surgical techniques and outcomes.

Risks

• Consider potential premature mortality associated with obesity if untreated.

Patient & Prescribing Data

Asian adults with obesity and obesity-related comorbidities

Bariatric metabolic surgery is increasingly adopted in Asia, showing efficacy in weight loss and comorbidity management, with research output correlating with economic and population factors.

Clinical Best Practices

• Employ bibliometric tools to monitor and guide research focus and collaboration in obesity surgery.
• Adapt surgical techniques based on evolving evidence and regional research contributions.
• Focus on multidisciplinary approaches integrating surgical intervention with public health strategies to address obesity.

References

• Worldometers - Number of Countries in Asia
• MapChart - Map Visualization Tool
• Bibliometrix R Package
• VOSviewer Software