Bryan Johnson has addressed his critics after disclosing his diagnosis of an incurable condition, and it’s evident that his response wasn’t an apology.
The American entrepreneur, renowned in the fields of longevity and biohacking, took to X to respond to the ongoing criticism suggesting he should ‘live a little’ instead of focusing on decelerating the ageing process.
Johnson, at 48, has invested years and millions into an intensive anti-ageing routine. Recently, he revealed he has autoimmune gastritis (AIG), a condition he claims affects only two to five percent of the population.
The diagnosis followed years of Johnson dealing with stress, weight gain, and chronic depression, which he believes eventually triggered an autoimmune reaction impacting his thyroid and stomach lining.
Despite this health challenge, Johnson seized the opportunity to respond to those who have ridiculed his lifestyle choices, posting a comprehensive explanation on X about why he remains committed to his path.
In his post, Johnson explained that those who urge him to relax and enjoy life are adhering to what he described as society’s collective rituals for coping with the fear of death, through food, drink, spontaneity, or staying up late. He suggested that when someone chooses a different path, as he has, it may come across as a challenge, causing others to react defensively rather than addressing their own emotions.
“I don’t intend to live a little,” Johnson wrote. “I intend to live more than any human who has yet lived and invite you to join me.”
He further argued that his critics misinterpret his intentions, emphasizing that he’s not against pleasure itself, but against what he terms the ‘counterfeit’ version that comes from short-term indulgence at the expense of long-term health. Johnson’s ultimate goal is to achieve a clearer, more vibrant state of consciousness that he believes is inaccessible to those with chronically inflamed or sedated bodies.
Despite his rigorous health tracking, Johnson admitted he didn’t initially notice any clear symptoms of AIG, although he now believes there were early signs he overlooked.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, autoimmune gastritis may not always show obvious symptoms, but when it does, individuals might experience abdominal pain, iron deficiency, a loss of appetite, nausea, and unexplained weight loss.
The condition occurs when the body’s antibodies attack healthy stomach cells and can also affect a protein released by these cells known as intrinsic factor, which helps the body absorb vitamin B12. Without it, the body may struggle to produce healthy red blood cells, potentially resulting in pernicious anemia and possibly causing nerve damage due to a lack of B12.
AIG is also notoriously hard to diagnose.
In Johnson’s situation, doctors initially ruled out colon cancer with a colonoscopy before using a bidirectional endoscopy to inspect his gastrointestinal tract. The tests revealed elevated levels of anti-parietal-cell antibodies, ultimately leading to the AIG diagnosis.
Although there is no cure for AIG, it can be managed with B12 injections or iron infusions, which Johnson has already begun. He recently underwent a 1,000mg Monoferric iron infusion. His medical team will now regularly monitor several indicators, including ferritin, iron, B12, and chromogranin A.
The Cleveland Clinic notes that individuals are more at risk of developing autoimmune gastritis if they are over 70, consume a high-salt diet, smoke, have a family history of the condition, or have other autoimmune diseases.
Writing on X, Johnson emphasized that he does not intend to merely accept the diagnosis. “Current medical standards treat AIG as something to be managed, not resolved. We want to change that,” he stated.