Atrophic Gastritis symptoms as Bryan Johnson opens up on 'silent' stomach disease

Famed 'biohacker' Bryan Johnson has revealed he has a rare disease which means his 'stomach is eating itself'.

The 48-year-old has made headlines in the past for his attempts at staying youthful and trying to crack the anti-ageing code.

His past efforts included injecting himself with his son's blood, spending hours in a sauna and also shockwave therapy.

Despite all this though, he has been diagnosed with atrophic gastritis, an incurable autoimmune disease which often goes undiagnosed and wreaks havoc on the digestive system.

It comes months after he shared he believes his girlfriend has endometriosis, and pledged to research more about the condition.

Johnson revealed he hasn't always taken care of his health: “As a kid, I ate sugar cereal, drank sugary soda, and gobbled down fast food. I had a few healthy years in my early 20s but then became a young father of three and began building a business,” he posted on X.

Bryan Johnson confessed he hasn't always taken such good care of his health as he does now (YouTube/Bryan Johnson)

“Juggling that stress and grind, I let my health slip and gained 40 lbs. Within a few years I’d fallen into a deep, chronic depression.

“Somewhere in that timeline, my body began developing an autoimmune process affecting my thyroid and then my stomach lining.

“It’s called Autoimmune Gastritis (AIG).”

He was officially diagnosed in May, but believes it has been happening for a lot longer.

What are the symptoms of Atrophic Gastritis?

Johnson said the first thing he noticed was his 'iron kept disappearing'.

The biohacker said he kept getting low ferritin results, and ferritin is a protein that stores iron in the body.

Despite the low levels, he didn't have anaemia, and despite taking iron supplements his levels would fall below normal.

"Autoimmune gastritis affects an estimated 2–5% of people, and likely more, because it hides and is challenging to diagnose," he said.

"It's usually silent for years, surfacing only once the stomach has atrophied enough to do real damage."

Symptoms include:

• Indigestion-like pain in the upper abdomen
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Feeling of fullness in the upper abdomen after eating
• Poor absorption of iron - which can lead to fatigue and difficulty concentrating
• Vitamin B12 deficiency - which can lead to fatigue, loss of appetite, unintentional weight loss, mouth and tongue ulcers.

Biohacker Bryan Johnson shared his diagnosis just weeks after he announced he believed his girlfriend has endometriosis (X/Bryan Johnson)

Who is more prone to Atrophic or Autoimmune Gastritis?

The exact cause of AIG is currently unknown, however research has brought up some commonalities.

It seems to be more prevalent in older people, particularly older women, and those living with other autoimmune diseases, according to the Global Autoimmune Institute.

The GAI also states: "Autoimmune gastritis is more common in people with certain autoimmune diseases, specifically thyroid diseases, type 1 diabetes, hemolytic anemia, vitiligo, alopecia, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, autoimmune hepatitis, myasthenia gravis, and Sjögren’s syndrome"

They advise that if anyone diagnosed with those conditions also experiences symptoms that sound like atrophic gastritis, they should see their health provider immediately.

Despite taking iron supplements, Johnson found his ferritin levels kept dropping (Getty Stock)

What does Atrophic Gastritis do to the body?

If left untreated, in the later stages of the disease, the patient can develop pernicious anaemia, which results from decreased red blood cell production.

This can cause shortness of breath, confusion, depression and anxiety, and balance problems.

People suffering from autoimmune gastritis are also at an increased risk for certain stomach cancers.

Is there any treatment or cure for Atrophic Gastritis?

Johnson said 'standard medical care concedes defeat' in his announcement.

He wrote: “I just discovered it in May. I'm unsure how long I've had it. AIG causes irreversible damage: nutritional deficiency, anaemia, and over a long horizon, elevated cancer risk. When AIG is discovered today, standard medical care concedes defeat, stating that nothing can be done except managing the condition, no matter how awful or lethal the effects.”

The Global Autoimmune Institute states that AIG can't be cured: “Since there currently isn’t a cure for autoimmune gastritis, treatment approaches focus on symptom relief, treatment of anaemia, and lifestyle modifications."