Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Bryan Johnson
Topics: Bryan Johnson, Health
Callum Jones
Self-proclaimed biohacker Bryan Johnson has shared the side effects he endured after making a huge mistake in his bid to slow down ageing.
Johnson is taking part in a lengthy and intense experimental medical program in the hope of 'reversing ageing', and it's safe to say it's been a resounding success so far.
Whether it be following a strict diet, or using his son's blood, Johnson is doing anything possible to remain as young as possible.
While he may be in his late 40s, the biohacker has previously said his crazy experiment helped him achieve the 'heart of 37-year-old' and the 'lung capacity of an 18-year-old'.
Advert
Most of Johnson's methods in reversing ageing have worked so far, but a recent development saw something go rather wrong for the biohacker.
Johnson spoke in a recent YouTube video titled 'I Made Myself Older By Mistake' how he had taken a drug called rapamycin and how it may have been slowing doing his progress.
The drug is typically used to treat conditions such as cancer or lung diseases, while it's also been studied for how it can influence anti-ageing.
Johnson stated in the video that he had been taking the drug for five years and ultimately experienced a lot of side effects.
The biohacker said he experienced some drawbacks that included 'canker’s in his mouth, a wound wouldn't heal fast enough, [his] blood report showed he had cholesterol disruptions and his blood glucose levels spiked a little bit'.
"Then perhaps the thing that was most painful for me, it increased my resting heart rate, which as you know, is the most important biomarker I track every single day because it is the most influential thing determining my sleep quality," Johnson added.
A 2009 study found that when the drug was given to mice, it seemingly increased the lifespan by 14 percent for females and nine percent for males.
Further evidence was added to the mix after a 2023 study reported that of 333 people taking it under a doctor's supervision, 65.5 percent believed it had effective anti-ageing properties.
On top of that, 44 percent said the drug improved their overall health, which can only really be a good thing.
Johnson has documented a lot of his successes with his monumental and expensive mission to reverse ageing, but he noted at the end of his recent video that it's important to talk about his failures during the process.
I mean, we're all human at the end of the day.