Disclosed is a class of compounds which inhibit the enzymatic conversion of fructose-lysine into fructose-lysine-3-phosphate in an ATP dependent reaction in a recently discovered metabolic pathway. According to the normal functioning of this pathway, fructose-lysine-3-phosphate (FL3P) is broken down to form free lysine, inorganic phosphate and 3-deoxyglucosone (3DG), the latter being a reactive protein modifying agent. 3DG can be detoxified by reduction to 3-deoxyfructose (3DF), or it can react with endogenous proteins to form advanced glycation end-product modified proteins (AGE-proteins). Also disclosed are therapeutic methods of using such inhibitors to alleviate deleterious effects of 3-deoxyglucosone (3DG).