Physician Assistant and prior C&P examiner Leah Bucholz discusses about Gout and VA Disability.
Leah discusses gout and its relevance to VA disability. She explains that many veterans suffer from gout, which is a painful form of inflammatory arthritis that often affects the big toe joint. Leah highlights that gout is primarily caused by high levels of uric acid in the body due to factors such as diet, alcohol consumption, and kidney dysfunction. She also mentions that gout can be connected to VA disability on either a primary or secondary basis, with common secondary connections including mental health conditions with alcohol use disorder, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, and obesity. Leah emphasizes the importance of establishing a medical diagnosis, a link to service, and a connection between the condition and service for VA disability claims related to gout.