BACKGROUND: Chronic heart failure (CHF) has gradually become the most important chronic cardiovascular disease of the 21st century. Although traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-based treatments can effectively improve the quality of life of CHF patients, there is no bibliometric systematic analysis to prove it. Therefore, this study aimed to review the literature, identify the research hotspots and frontiers of TCM in the treatment of CHF, and provide a reference for further research.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Studies on the treatment of CHF by TCM were downloaded from 3 databases. We used VOSviewer1.6.18.0, Microsoft Excel 2019, and CiteSpace 6.1.R2 for visualization and bibliometric research.

RESULTS: From 1990 to 2022, a total of 1959 articles published by 11 013 researchers from 3242 institutions in 82 countries/territories were included, with an overall increase in the number of articles published, especially in 2021. The United States and China were the main countries. The University of Groningen, University of Glasgow, and University of Toronto were the leading research institutions, and half of the top 10 institutions were based in the United States. The most published academic was Gree C Fonarow, and the most cited author was McMurray JJV. The European Journal of Heart Failure and Circulation were the most published and cited journals, respectively. The research in this field is divided into 4 main categories.

CONCLUSIONS: The current research focus in this field is mainly on the pathogenesis, clinical treatment, and multi-organ interaction of CHF.

Keywords: Bibliometrics, Data Visualization, Heart Failure, Shikunshito-Kamiho