Article HistoryReceived 14 / 08 / 2013 Accepted 17 / 09 / 2013The mortality and morbidity of ischemic stroke (IS) can be decreased by early diagnosis and proper treatment of these patients in the emergency department. The levels of trace elements in the human body are important in maintaining the balance in the various biological components. In this study, we examined the impact of imbalance in levels of trace elements in patients with acute IS. In this prospective study, serum copper (Cu), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), and magnesium (Mg) levels were investigated in 25 healthy participants (control group) and 24 IS patients. The Cd, Pb, Co, and Cu levels were significantly higher in the patients compared to control groups (P<0.05), while the levels of Zn, Mg, Mn were lower. The results of our study show that an increase in the levels of Cd, Pb, Co and Cu may be important in the occurrence of IS.