Objective. To investigate the dose-related effects of glucocorticoid treatment on glucose tolerance, beta cell function, and insulin sensitivity in patients with early active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods. A randomized, controlled, single-blind trial was conducted in 41 patients with early active RA. At the beginning of the trial patients had not been treated for their RA, and were randomized to begin treatment with prednisolone at 60 mg/day or 30 mg/day. Before and at the end of 1 week of treatment, a frequently sampled oral glucose tolerance test was performed. The glucose area under the curve (AUC G ) was calculated. In addition, beta cell function and insulin sensitivity parameters were computed.Results Conclusion. In this study, short-term treatment with prednisolone 60 mg or 30 mg per day improved disease activity without deterioration of glucose tolerance in patients with active RA. However, due to individual differences, monitoring is recommended.