Biohacker Bryan Johnson reveals he has incurable autoimmune disease: 'My stomach is eating itself'
The 48-year-old entrepreneur shared the diagnosis on social media and said he will try to find a solution to a disease that, according to him, affects only 2% to 5% of the population.
Image of Bryan Johnson
Tech entrepreneur and biohacker Bryan Johnson revealed that he has been diagnosed with an incurable autoimmune disease known as autoimmune gastritis (AIG), a condition in which the immune system attacks the stomach lining. Johnson himself described the disease by stating that “my stomach is eating itself.”
Johnson, 48, shared the diagnosis on social media and said he will try to find a solution to a disease that, according to him, affects only 2% to 5% of the population. “I would try and solve it,” wrote the entrepreneur, known for his ambitious project to slow down aging.
Johnson explained that, although he currently follows a strict routine focused on longevity, during his childhood he frequently consumed fast food and sugary drinks. After years of stress, weight gain and chronic depression, he began to develop an autoimmune process that affected both his thyroid gland and the lining of his stomach.
The entrepreneur was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at age 21 and has since been treated with levothyroxine and dried thyroid hormone. However, he says that for years there were early signs of autoimmune gastritis that went unnoticed, such as persistently low levels of ferritin, the protein responsible for storing iron.
The disease usually progresses without obvious symptoms, although it can cause abdominal pain, iron deficiency, loss of appetite, nausea, unexplained weight loss, anemia and an increased risk of developing gastric cancer.
Johnson explained that, despite taking iron supplements, his levels remained abnormally low, so he underwent a number of medical tests. After ruling out colon cancer via a colonoscopy, specialists performed upper and lower endoscopies, as well as various blood tests.
The results showed elevated levels of antibodies against parietal cells, characteristic of autoimmune gastritis, a diagnosis that was later confirmed by stomach biopsies, which revealed early damage to the gastric lining.
Autoimmune gastritis has no cure
Although autoimmune gastritis has no cure, it can be managed through vitamin B12 injections, iron infusions, and ongoing medical monitoring. Johnson revealed that he has already received an intravenous infusion of 1,000 milligrams of Monoferric iron and announced that he will continue to periodically monitor his iron and vitamin B12 levels and other markers, in addition to undergoing further biopsies and evaluating experimental treatments to try to slow the progression of the disease.
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