To investigate glycometabolism of patients with depression at first episode. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed in 100 patients with depression at first episode and 50 healthy subjects; the levels of fast blood plasma insulin were also measured. There were no statistically significant differences in fast blood plasma insulin levels and postprandial blood glucose levels at 0 h, 1 h and 3 h (P>0.05); the fasting blood glucose (FBS), postprandial blood glucose levels in 2 h and area under OGTT curve of depression patients were significantly higher than those of healthy controls. The frequency of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in depression patients was higher than that in controls (P<0.05). Depression patients at the first episode are abnormal in glycometabolism, which may have clinical implication.