BACKGROUND: Insulin resistance is a risk factor for metabolic syndromes and is associated with a wide variety of metabolic illnesses, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. AIM: To investigate and map global insulin resistance studies. METHODS: A bibliometric methodology was applied to the literature retrieved from the Scopus database and (https://www.referencecitationanalysis.com) by using a validated search strategy. The study period was limited from 2002 to 2021. Bibliometric indicators and mapping were presented. RESULTS: A total of 26808 articles on the topic of insulin resistance were included in the Scopus database. The articles included research articles ( = 21918; 81.76%), review articles ( = 2641; 9.85%), and letters ( = 653; 2.44%). During the study period, 136 countries contributed to the research on insulin resistance. The highest number of articles was from the United States ( = 7360; 27.45%), followed by China ( = 3713; 13.85%), Japan ( = 1730, 6.45%), Italy ( = 1545; 5.54%), and the United Kingdom ( = 1484; 5.54%). The retrieved articles identified two main research themes: "inflammatory mechanisms in the regulation of insulin resistance" and "mechanisms linking obesity to insulin resistance". CONCLUSION: Our data show that insulin resistance has steadily gained interest from researchers, as evidenced by the number of citations and yearly publications. Publications have grown significantly in the last decade, while low-income countries with greater burdens continue to produce fewer publications in this field. This approach might assist researchers in choosing new research areas and recognizing research hotspots and frontiers. In the future, perhaps high-quality clinical evidence will be acquired.