A method for diagnosing stroke (cerebrovascular accident) in patients within 48 h after occurrence of clinical symptoms, characterized by quantitatively detecting in vitro in at least one blood sample of a patient a plurality of metabolic compounds being specific for stroke, and having a molecular weight of less than 1500 Dalton comprising the steps of: a) selecting said plurality of metabolic compounds comprising at least one of the sets of metabolites selected from the group consisting of: Set No Metabolic Compounds 9 Asp, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C16:1, Octadecanoylcarnitine, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C14:0, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C20:3, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C17:0, Hydroxyvalerylcarnitine/Methylmalonylcarnitine, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C18:1, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C18:0, Glycocholic acid, Taurine-conjugated Taurochenodeoxycholic acid, Glycochenodeoxycholic acid, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C16:0, Lanosterol, Glycolithocholic acid sulfate, Taurolithocholic acid sulfate, Taurodeoxycholic acid, Docosahexaenoic acid, Phospatidylcholine acyl-alkyl C36:3, Phospatidylcholine acyl-alkyl C34:4 10 Asp, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C16:1, Octadecanoylcarnitine, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C14:0, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C20:3, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C17:0, Hydroxyvalerylcarnitine/Methylmalonylcarnitine, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C18:1, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C18:0, Glycocholic acid 11 Asp, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C16:1, Octadecanoylcarnitine, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C14:0, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C20:3 12 Asp, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C16:1, Octadecanoylcarnitine, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C14:0 13 Asp, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C16:1, Octadecanoylcarnitine 14 Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C16:1, Octadecanoylcarnitine, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C14:0 15 Octadecanoylcarnitine, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C14:0, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C20:3 16 Asp, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C16:1 17 Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C16:1, Octadecanoylcarnitine wherein in acylcarnitines, phosphatidylcholines, and lysophosphatidylcholines, the number following "C" represents the number of total carbon atoms in the fatty acid and/or alkyl residue(s), and the number after the colon represents the number of total double bonds in the fatty acid residue and/or alkyl residue(s); b) measuring at least one of the parameters selected from the group consisting of: presence, concentration, level or amount of each specific compound of said plurality of compounds in said sample; obtaining a qualitative and/or quantitative molecular pattern from the entirety of the obtained values from said parameter measurements; and storing said obtained set of values in a database; c) calibrating said values by comparing clinically confirmed stroke-positive and/or clinically confirmed stroke-negative reference parameters; and d) comparing said measured values in the sample with the calibrated values, in order to assess whether the patient is stroke-positive or stroke-negative. a) selecting said plurality of metabolic compounds comprising at least one of the sets of metabolites selected from the group consisting of: Set No Metabolic Compounds 9 Asp, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C16:1, Octadecanoylcarnitine, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C14:0, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C20:3, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C17:0, Hydroxyvalerylcarnitine/Methylmalonylcarnitine, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C18:1, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C18:0, Glycocholic acid, Taurine-conjugated Taurochenodeoxycholic acid, Glycochenodeoxycholic acid, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C16:0, Lanosterol, Glycolithocholic acid sulfate, Taurolithocholic acid sulfate, Taurodeoxycholic acid, Docosahexaenoic acid, Phospatidylcholine acyl-alkyl C36:3, Phospatidylcholine acyl-alkyl C34:4 10 Asp, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C16:1, Octadecanoylcarnitine, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C14:0, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C20:3, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C17:0, Hydroxyvalerylcarnitine/Methylmalonylcarnitine, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C18:1, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C18:0, Glycocholic acid 11 Asp, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C16:1, Octadecanoylcarnitine, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C14:0, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C20:3 12 Asp, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C16:1, Octadecanoylcarnitine, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C14:0 13 Asp, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C16:1, Octadecanoylcarnitine 14 Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C16:1, Octadecanoylcarnitine, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C14:0 15 Octadecanoylcarnitine, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C14:0, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C20:3 16 Asp, Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C16:1 17 Lysophospatidylcholine acyl C16:1, Octadecanoylcarnitine wherein in acylcarnitines, phosphatidylcholines, and lysophosphatidylcholines, the number following "C" represents the number of total carbon atoms in the fatty acid and/or alkyl residue(s), and the number after the colon represents the number of total double bonds in the fatty acid residue and/or alkyl residue(s); b) measuring at least one of the parameters selected from the group consisting of: presence, concentration, level or amount of each specific compound of said plurality of compounds in said sample; obtaining a qualitative and/or quantitative molecular pattern from the entirety of the obtained values from said parameter measurements; and storing said obtained set of values in a database; c) calibrating said values by comparing clinically confirmed stroke-positive and/or clinically confirmed stroke-negative reference parameters; and d) comparing said measured values in the sample with the calibrated values, in order to assess whether the patient is stroke-positive or stroke-negative.