Is your hip painful? Achy is one thing but debilitating pain is another. My wife had hip issues for years and was told to delay hip replacement till she was 60+, but it got to the point where she wasn't getting a full night's sleep from the pain (her joint was bone on bone). It really limited her ability to do a lot of things. She really had trouble getting on her bike - she just couldn't get her leg up over the seat, even with the bike tilted at an extreme angle.
Anyway, long story short - she had hip replacement a year ago when she was 47 and I think she'd tell you it was the best decision for her. Apparently they can replace the joint sleeves now, so it's not the same situation that it used to be where you're stuck with just one replacement. Everything seems to be peachy, and she's even taken up jogging again. I wouldn't assume that you can't do anything about your hip at 46, that's for sure.