If she is osteoporotic, then HRT will be the best treatment for her. The group of women who are uncertain about or opposed to HRT may well benefit from an early postmenopausal bone density scan. This may help them and their physicians make a decision regarding HRT or other therapeutic options. How often to repeat bone density scans is another unanswered question. In most cases, one would wait at least 2 years between scans, and usually longer, because changes in results, if scans are too close together, may simply reflect the lack of reproducibility of the scanner.
Medications play an important role in the treatment of osteoporosis.
Hormone replacement therapy is most often the first choice. Multiple formulations are available and consultation with the physician will be very important. For women who cannot or would prefer not to take HRT, there are now a number of alternatives. Etidronate, marketed as Didronel, has been available for some time. Alendronate or Fosamax was approved by the FDA for the treatment of osteoporosis in 1996.