Chief Judge.
Rоy H. Isom appeals from the order of the district court, the Honorable Henry Woods presiding, affirming the Secretary of Health and Human Services’ (Secretary) denial of Isom’s request for disability insurance benefits. We find thе Secretary’s decision was supported by substantial evidence on the record as a whole; we аffirm.
Isom applied for disability insurance benefits on February 14,1980, alleging that he had become unable to work on January 1, 1980. 1 The application was denied. Upon Isom’s request, an evidentiary hearing was held before аn Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) and the ALJ thereafter denied the application. The Appeals Council approved the denial of benefits. A petition for review was then filed in the district court.
Isom was bom on February 23,1924, and hаs approximately a sixth-grade level of education. He alleges disability due to back and heart trоuble; he also has lung problems and breathing difficulties. He testified that his daily activities were quite limited due to his difficulty in breathing and his back pain. He has worked as a mechanic, a rolling machine operator in a faсtory, and as the owner and operator of a country grocery store and service station.
Medical reports from three physicians were admitted into evidence at the eviden-tiary hearing. One of the physicians, Dr. Thomas Benton, was Isom’s treating physician; the other two, Drs. David Ducker and Paul Baxley, were consulting physicians who examined Isom once. All three physicians generally agreed that Isom suffered from osteoarthritis, which causes low back pain, and chronic obstructive lung disease. Dr. Ducker found no cardiaс disease and Dr. Baxley speculated that notwithstanding Isom’s heart murmur, his chest pains were not due to cardiаc disease. Dr. Benton found a heart murmur and concluded that Isom’s osteoarthritis was so severe that Isom wаs incapable of any gainful employment.
The ALJ found that Isom had three impairments: chronic obstructive lung disеase, osteoarthritis, and a heart murmur. The ALJ did not credit Isom’s subjective complaints of pain, weakness, аnd fatigue, partially because Isom sought no medical treatment from 1972 until 1980 following his claim application. Further, Isom had engaged in a variety of daily activities, had a varied employment history, and filed his appliсation almost simultaneously with his wife’s application for disability benefits. The ALJ concluded that Isom had the residual functional capacity to perform his past relevant work and was not disabled.
Isom’s primary contеntion is that his subjective complaints of pain were not given credence. He relies on
Northcutt v. Califano,
The district cоurt in the instant case found that the ALJ did not follow the
Duncan
guidelines, but did make credibility findings. The district court also noted that the mеdical evidence did not lend credence
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to Isom’s subjective complaints. We also note that thеre are several inconsistencies in the record that weaken Isom’s credibility. For example, he testified that he could no longer go hunting and fishing and yet his wife testified he had gone fishing with his father the previous week. An ALJ may disbelieve subjective reports of pain because of inherent inconsistencies, so long as the disbelief is not based solely on the lack of objective medical findings.
Simonson v. Schweiker,
Isom next contends that the ALJ erred in not сonsidering all of his impairments in combination. We note that the ALJ is required to consider the combined effects of unrelated impairments only if all are severe. See 20 C.F.R. § 404.1522 (1982). The ALJ found the lung disease to be of mild to moderate severity; the osteoarthritis to be not severe; and the heart murmur to not have prevented Isom’s work activity in thе past.
Isom lastly contends that he was denied an impartial and fair hearing because the ALJ demonstrated bias. This issue was not addressed by the district court and apparently was not raised in the lower court. The claim of bias is based on negative comments made by the ALJ regarding Isom’s testimony that the consulting physicians spent nо more than five to ten minutes examining him. The ALJ questioned Isom’s credibility regarding the length of time because the mediсal reports indicated more thorough examinations. If there was any bias shown by these remarks we think the ALJ cоrrected the problem by allowing a complete record to be made. Isom was afforded a fаir hearing.
Cf. Withrow v. Larkin,
The Secretary’s determination was supported by substantial evidence on the record as a whole. Therefore, we affirm the judgment of the district court.
Notes
. Isоm had previously applied for disability insurance benefits in 1972. The application was denied at the initial stage and no appeal was taken.