%0 Journal Article %T Association between color value of tongue and T2DM based on dose-response analyses using restricted cubic splines in China: A cross-sectional study. %A Tian Z %A Sun X %A Wang D %A Wang H %J Medicine (Baltimore) %V 103 %N 25 %D 2024 Jun 21 %M 38905430 %F 1.817 %R 10.1097/MD.0000000000038575 %X This study aimed to explore the relationship between international commission on illumination (CIE) L*a*b* color value of tongue and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We used restricted cubic spline method and logistic regression method to assess the relationship between CIE L*a*b* color value of tongue and T2DM. A total of 2439 participants (991 T2DM and 1448 healthy) were included. A questionnaire survey and tongue images obtained with tongue diagnosis analysis-1 were analyzed. As required, chi-square and t tests were applied to compare the T2DM and healthy categories. Our findings suggest the 95% confidence interval and odds ratio for body mass index, hypertension, and age were 0.670 (0.531-0.845), 13.461 (10.663-16.993), and 2.595 (2.324-2.897), respectively, when compared to the healthy group. A linear dose-response relationship with an inverse U-shape was determined between CIE L* and CIE a* values and T2DM (P < .001 for overall and P < .001 for nonlinear). Furthermore, U-shaped and linear dose-response associations were identified between T2DM and CIE b* values (P = .0160 for nonlinear). Additionally, in adults, the CIE L*a*b* color value had a correlation with T2DM. This novel perspective provides a multidimensional understanding of traditional Chinese medicine tongue color, elucidating the potential of CIE L*a*b* color values of tongue in the diagnosis of T2DM.