ObjectivesPatients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are at a high risk of cardiovascular events (CVEs), and kidney transplantation (KT) has been reported to improve risk of CVEs and survival. As the association of KT timing on long-term survival and clinical outcomes remains unclear, we investigated the association of different KT waiting times with clinical outcomes.DesignRetrospective observational cohort study.SettingWe conducted an observational cohort study using data from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. Adult patients who initiated KT therapy from 1997 to 2013 were included.ParticipantsA total of 3562 adult patients who initiated uncomplicated KT therapy were included and categorised into four groups according to KT waiting times after ESRD: group 1 (<1 year), group 2 (1–3 years), group 3 (3–6 years) and group 4 (>6 years).Primary outcome measuresThe main outcomes were composite of all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction or non-fatal stroke, based on the primary diagnosis in medical records during hospitalisation.ResultsCompared with group 1, the adjusted risk of primary outcome events (all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction or non-fatal stroke) increased by 1.67 times in group 2 (95% CI: 1.40 to 2.00; p<0.001), 2.17 times in group 3 (95% CI: 1.73 to 2.71; p<0.001) and 3.10 times in group 4 (95% CI: 2.21 to 4.35; p<0.001). The rates of primary outcome events were 6.7%, 13.4% and 14.0% within 5 years, increasing to 19.5%, 26.3% and 30.8% within 10 years in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively.ConclusionsOur results demonstrate that early KT is associated with superior long-term cardiovascular outcomes compared with late KT in selected patients with ESRD receiving uncomplicated KT, suggesting that an early KT could be a better treatment option for patients with ESRD who are eligible for transplantation.