'My Stomach Is Eating Itself': Biohacker Bryan Johnson Reveals Incurable Autoimmune Gastritis Diagnosis

Biohacker Bryan Johnson, who has spent millions of dollars attempting to reverse ageing and push the boundaries of human longevity through advanced technology, has revealed he has an incurable autoimmune disease.

The condition went undetected for years despite regular health monitoring, prompting the entrepreneur to search for a cure using AI and advanced medicine.

Johnson, 48, shared the diagnosis in a lengthy post on X, explaining that he had recently been diagnosed with autoimmune gastritis (AIG), a chronic condition that damages the stomach lining and can lead to iron deficiency, anaemia, vitamin B12 deficiency and an increased risk of stomach cancer.

Bryan Johnson Reveals Hidden Autoimmune Disease

In his post, Johnson said the disease had likely begun developing years ago alongside the autoimmune thyroid condition he was diagnosed with at the age of 21.

'Bad news #1: I have an autoimmune disease. My stomach is eating itself,' he wrote. 'Bad news #2: 2 to 5% of people have this, too. Likely more, because it hides.'

Although routine blood tests detected hypothyroidism decades ago, his stomach condition remained hidden because he had no obvious symptoms.

'For 11 years, I've had low ferritin, without anaemia,' he wrote. 'We continually tried to raise my iron levels with food and supplementation but nothing would work.'

As reported by the New York Post, autoimmune gastritis is considered incurable under current medical standards, with treatment typically focused on managing nutritional deficiencies and monitoring for complications rather than reversing the disease.

Medical Investigation Finally Found the Cause

The biohacker said the breakthrough came after he overhauled his medical team earlier this year as part of his expanding longevity programme.

Doctors initially investigated whether hidden blood loss from bowel cancer or polyps was responsible for his iron deficiency by performing a colonoscopy, which returned normal results.

At the same time, specialists noted that autoimmune thyroid disease and autoimmune gastritis frequently occur together, a combination known as thyrogastric syndrome. Blood tests then revealed anti-parietal cell antibodies at five times the normal level, while stomach biopsies confirmed autoimmune gastritis.

The biopsy results confirmed early-stage autoimmune gastritis despite there being no visible signs during the procedure.

Johnson wrote: 'The biopsies were the critical piece. Had they not been ordered, the bi-directional endoscopy would have been completed and AIG remained undiagnosed.'

Biohacker Plans to Search for a Cure

Rather than accepting the diagnosis, Johnson said he intends to challenge conventional treatment approaches.

'Current medical standards treat AIG as something to be managed, not solved,' he wrote, adding: 'My team and I are going to try and solve my AIG.'

Johnson said his plan includes regular monitoring, repeat biopsies and experimental therapies targeting the underlying autoimmune process. He acknowledged that there is currently no approved cure for the condition.

He also revealed that a 1,000mg iron infusion had successfully corrected his longstanding iron deficiency while doctors continue monitoring the disease's progression.

Health Message After Diagnosis

Johnson said the experience reinforced his belief that the absence of symptoms does not necessarily indicate good health.

'The absence of symptoms is not the presence of health,' he wrote, encouraging people not to ignore routine health checks simply because they feel well.

Ending his post, Johnson said: 'We know, deep down, that in the noise of it all, health is easily forgotten until it's the only thing that matters.'

Johnson added that he hopes advances in AI and precision medicine will eventually transform conditions now considered incurable into treatable, and ultimately curable, diseases.