Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) could promote the development of cardiovascular disease(CVD). The aim of this study was to examine the association of MS and its components with CVD among Kazakhs in Xinjiang. Methods: According to the geographical distribution of the minority populations in Xinjiang, we selected the representative prefecture (Yili). A total of 2,644 participants completed the baseline survey between April 2010 and December 2012. The follow-up survey was conducted from April 2016 to December 2016. Only 2,286 out of 2,644 participants were followed-up on, with a follow-up rate of 86.46%. Cox regression was used to evaluate the association of each component and the number of combinations of MS components on the development of CVD. Results: Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that blood pressure (BP), waist circumference (WC), and triglycerides (TG) were independently associated with CVD. Participants with 1–5 MS components had an increased hazard ratio for developing CVD, from 1.82 to 8.59 (trend P<0.001), compared with those without any MS components. This trend persisted after adjusting for other general risk factors. The risk of developing CVD increased when TG and WC coexisted, or when TG/WC and BP coexisted. However, no significant interactions were found between BP , WC , and TG. Conclusions: BP , WC, and TG were independent risk factors for CVD in Kazakhs. In clinical practice, a more informative assessment may be obtained by taking into account the number of MS components.