Influence of psychological stress on headache in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: To compare the prevalence and disability of headache in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with the general population and to assess the role of chronic psychological stress (CPS) in headache development.

Methods: One hundred seventy patients with SLE and 102 control subjects matched for age, sex, and level of education were included in this multicenter, cross-sectional study. CPS, headache-related disability, and chronic analgesic intake (CAI) were evaluated in all participants.