People with a close circle of friends may outlive those who merely have strong family ties.  From the Australian Longitudinal Study of Aging, involving 1,477 men and women aged 70 or more, researchers from Flinders University (Australia) determined in 2005 that greater networks of friends protected against death during a ten-year study period.  Having a small circle of confidants, or a social network comprised of solely of relatives, were far weaker contributors to longevity.

"Without friends, no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods." ~ Aristotle