Reduced physical activity and weight gain are associated with an increase of depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. A general practitioners' prospective observational study.

We demonstrate an association between the deterioration of depressive symptoms, weight gain, and reduced physical activity during COVID-19, both in hypertensives and healthy controls. Hypertension is no driver of symptom deterioration during the pandemic. The trial was registered in the German Clinical Trials Registry (DRKS00022157).