There is a long-standing paradox in medicine: people who have a heart attack or stroke while surrounded by relatives take longer to get medical care. This may well be down to the structure of social networks. There’s evidence that close-knit groups of relatives tend to prefer a wait-and-see approach after witnessing a mild stroke, with nobody willing to contradict the dominant view. In contrast, ‘weak ties’ – like co-workers or non-relatives – can bring a more diverse set of perspectives, so flag up symptoms faster and call for help sooner.[47]
