vital signs

By Daniela Hernandez, Kaiser Health News Staff Writer, produced in collaboration with Wired

Ask anyone who's spent time in a hospital: One of the most annoying things is how the nurses wake you during the night to check your vital signs. Wouldn't it be better for our health to let us sleep?

Christine Porter is hooked on the My Fitness Pal app. In October, after deciding to lose 50 pounds, Porter started typing in everything she eats, drinks and any exercise she gets.

If you're a fan of the original Star Trek TV series and its myriad spin-offs, you may remember the  medical tricorder - a futuristic gadget with special handheld sensors that the Enterprise's intrepid crew used to check the vital signs of an injured or sick person.