Opinion ID: 3025115
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: standard of review

Text: We review decisions of the SSA using the same standard as the district court. See Cruse v. Bowen, 867 F.2d 1183, 1184 (8th Cir. 1989). By statute, “[t]he findings of the Commissioner of Social Security as to any fact, if supported by substantial evidence, shall be conclusive.” 42 U.S.C. § 405(g). We have stated that [w]e will uphold the Commissioner’s determinations if they are supported by substantial evidence on the record as a whole. Substantial evidence is -4- relevant evidence which a reasonable mind would accept as adequate to support the Commissioner’s conclusion. In assessing the substantiality of the evidence, we must consider evidence that detracts from the [Commissioner’s] decision as well as evidence that supports it. We may not reverse the Commissioner merely because substantial evidence exists supporting a different outcome. Black v. Apfel, 143 F.3d 383, 385 (8th Cir. 1998) (internal quotations and citations omitted). We defer heavily to the findings of the SSA. “If, after review, we find it possible to draw two inconsistent positions from the evidence and one of those positions represents the Commissioner’s findings, we must affirm the denial of benefits.” Mapes v. Chater, 82 F.3d 259, 262 (8th Cir. 1996) (citing Siemers v. Shalala, 47 F.3d 299, 301 (8th Cir. 1995)); see Consolo v. Federal Maritime Comm’n, 383 U.S. 607, 620 (1966).