Bryan Johnson diagnosed with incurable autoimmune gastritis
Bryan Johnson has been diagnosed with autoimmune gastritis after years of unexplained low iron levels. He intends to research experimental therapies to treat the condition.
Bryan Johnson, the 48-year-old entrepreneur widely known for his multi-million dollar "Project Blueprint" initiative aimed at reversing biological aging, disclosed on June 30 that he has been diagnosed with autoimmune gastritis (AIG). The condition, which he described as his stomach is eating itself
, involves the immune system mistakenly attacking the parietal cells responsible for producing stomach acid.
Although the diagnosis was officially confirmed in May, Johnson suggests the process may have been developing for decades. He noted that he was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid, or hypothyroidism, at age 21. According to medical context, autoimmune thyroid disease and AIG frequently occur together, a pairing clinically recognized as thyrogastric syndrome. Johnson reflected that his early lifestyle — marked by a diet of fast food and sugary sodas followed by the high-stress, grinding years of building a business — may have contributed to the onset of the autoimmune process.
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Diagnostic Hurdles
Despite Johnson’s intensive, data-driven Health regimen, which includes daily supplement intake, a strictly monitored vegan diet, and regular medical interventions, the condition remained undetected for 11 years. A persistent, unexplained marker of his health was chronically low ferritin, a protein that stores iron. Johnson stated that he attempted to address this with various foods and supplements, but his iron levels failed to improve despite his haemoglobin remaining stable.
The discovery of the disease followed an overhaul of his medical team earlier this year. After a colonoscopy returned normal results, ruling out colon cancer or internal bleeding, specialists performed a bi-directional endoscopy. Blood tests revealed levels of anti-parietal cell antibodies more than five times higher than the normal limit. Stomach biopsies provided the definitive confirmation of early-stage AIG, revealing atrophy in the stomach lining. Johnson noted that the biopsies were the critical piece
of the puzzle, as the damage was not visually apparent during the endoscopic procedure itself.
The Medical Outlook
According to the Global Autoimmune Institute, there is currently no approved cure for autoimmune gastritis. Standard medical practice typically focuses on managing symptoms, correcting iron or vitamin B12 deficiencies, and monitoring for long-term complications, which can include an increased risk of stomach cancer. While Johnson has already received a 1,000mg iron infusion to correct his deficiency, he remains critical of the broader medical establishment's approach to the disease.
Johnson challenged the "incurable" designation, arguing that modern medical standards often concede defeat prematurely. In the age of AI, multiomics, and custom-built DNA, proteins, and cells, no condition should be presumed incurable simply because no one has yet tried to cure it with today's stack,
he wrote. He intends to utilize his team to research and develop experimental therapies, including targeting immune system chemical messengers, rebuilding regulatory T-cells, and exploring engineered cell therapy.
Johnson, who previously sold his company Braintree Venmo to Paypal for $800 million in 2013, emphasized that his experience serves as a warning that an absence of symptoms does not equate to the presence of health. As he transitions his focus toward finding a solution for AIG, he has pledged to share his findings publicly. He continues to maintain his broader "don't die" philosophy, positioning this new health challenge as a test case for whether advanced technology can reverse conditions historically considered irreversible.
