What should the average hdl cholesterol be for a person?

Men >45, Women >55: Ideally, the higher the better. For men, we like to see over 45. For women, over 55. If it's below that, then you might be at slightly higher risk for heart attacks and strokes than average. Best thing to increase HDL is exercise. Niacin works too, but you need to take doses that can make you uncomfortable. It's largely controlled by genetics, but you can change it with exercise.