Schematic representation of the course of reaction for the
glycation of hemoglobin. Apart from glucose, other sugars and sugar
phosphates such as glucose metabolites, fructose, galactose, pentoses
and aldehydes react with proteins. Although the reaction rate of
some of these compounds is higher than that of glucose, because of
their very low concentration in human blood, the concentrations of
the adducts are also very low, therefore they are of slight clinical
significance under physiological conditions