Jan 24 (Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories on Wednesday reported a fourth-quarter profit that met Wall Street estimates as strong demand for medical devices offset lower-than-expected sales in its pharmaceuticals unit.

Excluding items, Abbott's profit was in line with the average of analysts' estimates of $1.19 per share, according to LSEG data.

Abbott also forecast 2024 adjusted profit in the range of $4.50 to $4.70 per share, compared with analysts' estimate of $4.64 per share. (Reporting by Pratik Jain and Leroy Leo in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)